Each year, the Ministry of Education provides grants to school boards across the province to reduce permit fees for not-for-profit community groups accessing the Community Use of School Programs, otherwise known as permits.
York Region District School Board has worked to help subsidize costs for not-for-profit organizations and has historically applied amounts greater than the Ministry allocated funding to reduce costs for organizations holding permits at our schools.
To ensure that funds are appropriately aligned to support school and classroom resources, YRDSB will be implementing rate adjustments for all permit holders to reflect actual costs. This is a continuation of the multi-year process rate adjustments that began at the beginning of this school year.
We recognize this may be disappointing news, but please be assured we will continue to offer permits for facilities that are safe, clean and accessible to all with competitive rates. These changes will not result in additional revenue for the board as we will operate on a cost-recovery model for non-profit organizations.
YRDSB values and appreciates the work community organizations do to support youth. While we are no longer in a position to subsidize permits, we remain committed to supporting community partnerships and organizations.
Decisions regarding updated grant funding will be communicated to community organizations by the end of August 2026.