Ontario elementary teachers to receive $750 annually for classroom supplies

Elementary school teachers in Ontario will soon have access to a new fund, giving them $750 a year to pay for classroom supplies starting in September.

The new “Classroom Supplies Fund” will be included in the province’s 2026 budget. Elementary school teachers often have to pay for things like paper towels, pencils, notebooks and other supplies out of their own pockets. The union that represents teachers says although the money from the province is welcome, it’s long overdue and points to a lack of funding over the years.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Paul Calandra announced the purchasing card today for teachers.

“The days of teachers having to put their hands in their own pockets to pay for their own school supplies, those days are done,” Ford said. “You can buy supplies for the classroom and that’s going to help out tremendously.”

Teachers have long paid for classroom supplies themselves. The province says teachers could be paying out of pocket for things like pencils and notebooks, and the cost of these items could quickly add up. If a teacher purchased 30 $3 note books from The Dollar Store, that would cost $90 plus tax.

David Mastin, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario said the $750 will help but it’s long overdue and points to a lack of government funding over the years.

“There’s this notion that somehow the premier and the minister of education are giving educators a gift here, a $750 gift,” said Mastin. “The thing is, that gift card is for paper towels, it’s for pencils, it’s for pens, it’s for stationary – these things should be provided in our schools already. We should not be having a conversation about paper towels being a gift for educators.”

Ford disagrees that his government hasn’t funded the education system enough.

“The previous government closed 600 schools,” Ford said. “We’re building $30 billion, with a ‘b”, $30 billion worth of schools all around.”

Under the program announced today, teachers will buy supplies from a website. The finance minister said before the website is launched, the government is looking for feedback on what supplies should be available.

“Teachers, in your inbox you will get a survey from the ministry asking us what types of supplies you would like to see on it. You get what you need to support your students in the classroom,” Calandra said.

The announcement comes as contracts for teachers and education workers expire at the end of this summer.

When asked if $750 is meant to appease educators ahead of this, Ford said “no.”

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