What to know
- Ford’s new $750 Classroom Supplies Card launches for teachers in September 2026
- The card can be used for basics like arts supplies, stationery, and even toilet paper.
- Teachers and union leaders say the funding does not address chronic underfunding or the need for special education support.
Classroom supplies or toilet paper? As Doug Ford rolls out a $750 supply card for teachers from JK to Grade 8, Torontonians say that the funding has to be stretched to cover even the most basic necessities.
The Ford government’s “classroom supplies cards” are intended for arts and crafts, stationery, and toilet paper.
Starting September 2026, teachers will access $750 through a provincial website for classroom supplies delivered to schools.
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Ford explained that teachers can decide what supplies are needed because every class is different, but the website will offer a grade-by-grade selection of commonly used classroom items, including supplies, notebooks, calculators, chalk, arts-and-crafts materials, tissues, and paper towels.
“The new $750 Classroom Supplies Card will give teachers across the province access to the resources they need, without forcing them to cover the costs themselves or wait to be reimbursed,” Doug Ford said in a news conference.
The Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, continued, “We know that many teachers have been paying out of pocket for supplies. That isn’t fair for teachers or students.”
But the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO’s) President David Mastin responded to Ford’s announcement in a media statement: “For years, educators have spent hundreds of dollars of their own money to ensure students have what they need. If the government is finally acknowledging this reality, it’s long overdue.” He continued, “Educators cannot be bought, and our commitment to strong public education is not something this government can purchase with a pre-bargaining announcement.”
Mastin outlined that the government should instead address the chronic underfunding that forces educators to subsidize classrooms out of their pockets in the first place.
“Ontario’s public education system doesn’t need political theatre. It needs real investment and a government that’s willing to strengthen it, not one trying to build allies through strategically timed announcements,” Mastin said.
Some Toronto residents express views similar to ETFO’s in an X (formerly Twitter) post.
I’m in Etobicoke this morning with an important announcement about how we’re supporting teachers and students in the classroom. Tune in: https://t.co/RGBOZA6Lfi
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) March 11, 2026
One X user shared, “Based on this huge build-up for this announcement … I am so disappointed. You have not listened.”
Others pointed out funding should be redirected to special needs students, “Omg. $750 supply card? Give me a break. We need funding for special needs students. You can’t shut us up with a craft card… or a bulk-buying site? Please. Dollarama is 1/10 of the cost.”
Another user wished: “[I] hope you will be providing funding for special needs students who require specialized environments and programming as opposed to fake inclusivity where there is no support and is a lose-lose.”
