Overview

Starting September 2026, eligible elementary teachers in publicly funded schools will have access to $750 each year to buy classroom supplies. If you’re eligible, you can order supplies online through a vendor that ships the supplies directly to your school.

This funding is in addition to the funding that school boards already receive to pay for classroom supplies.

Teachers will not have to pay out of pocket for any extra supplies, and the additional funding helps ensure students have consistent access to classroom materials across publicly funded schools across Ontario.

Who is eligible

You are eligible to access funding if you are an elementary teacher (Kindergarten to Grade 8) and have primary responsibility for either a:

  • specific classroom with a defined grade (such as Grade 1, or a combined class, such as Grades 3/4)
  • special education class in a dedicated classroom

You may also be eligible if you are a teacher in a care and treatment education program (CTEP) or a Section 68 School Authority. Teachers with primary responsibility for their classrooms in those programs will have access to:

  • $750 if you teach only elementary students
  • $550 if you teach both elementary and secondary students

You are not eligible if you do not have primary responsibility for an elementary classroom. This includes teachers who provide preparation time coverage, support students across multiple classrooms or schools or are not assigned to a specific elementary classroom during the regular school year.

How funding and purchasing work

You will have access to $750 to spend on classroom supplies through the ordering website. An account coordinator at your school or school board will set up your account and provide your login information. You will not have to pay for anything up front, and your school or school board will handle all invoices.

Principals do not approve the supplies you choose. You can use the supplies throughout the school year, unless you are reassigned to a different classroom.

During the school year

Class reorganization and new classrooms

To help ensure students are supported equitably across the province, there is 1 spending amount per classroom per year. So, if classroom assignments change during the school year:

  • purchased supplies stay in the classroom
  • the classroom’s new teacher can access the funds unspent by the original teacher

This means, if you move classrooms during the school year, the amount you have access to may change because:

  • supplies you purchased remain in your former classroom and your funding balance is reassigned to the incoming teacher
  • supplies purchased by the outgoing teacher remain in your new classroom and the outgoing teacher’s funding balance is reassigned to you

If you are assigned to a newly created classroom that has not yet received funding, you will have access to a new $750 spending amount.

Sharing a classroom

If 2 or more eligible teachers share primary responsibility for a classroom, the school board can recommend that they share access to the spending amount or divide it between them.

Leaves and long-term occasional teachers

If a permanent teacher goes on leave and returns in the same year, they:

  • do not get access to additional funding
  • can use any remaining funds not used by the long-term occasional teacher who replaced them

Long-term occasional teachers:

  • do not get access to a new $750 amount during the year
  • can use any of the permanent teacher’s remaining funds if they are expected to stay at least 3 months
  • may get access to $750 at the start of the year if they are expected to stay at least 3 months

At the end of the school year

Any unused supplies stay at the school for future classroom use. Schools are responsible for making sure leftover supplies are used to best support students, while following board policies. For example, supplies meant for a specific grade should continue to be used for that grade.

Carrying over funds

If you remain eligible, you can carry forward up to $750 of unused funds to the next school year. This means your total available amount can be up to $1,500.

You cannot carry funds forward if you:

  • move to a different school board
  • move to a role that is not eligible
  • are a long-term occasional teacher

What you can buy

Available supplies may include:

  • arts and crafts materials
  • stationery and paper products, such as notebooks
  • posters and classroom décor
  • paper towels and tissues
  • calculators

Roles and responsibilities

Ministry of Education

  • sets policy and eligibility rules
  • provides funding to school boards

School boards

  • ensure sufficient funding is available for all eligible teachers
  • identify eligible teachers in their schools (if account coordination is administered by the school board)
  • may set rules for managing unused or reusable supplies

Principals (if account coordination is administered at the school level)

  • may identify eligible teachers in their schools
  • support account setup for teachers
  • ensure coordinators have the information they need

Account coordinators

  • set up and manage access to the ordering website
  • assign accounts to teachers and ensure teachers have login credentials
  • manage account changes during the year

Teachers

  • select and order supplies for their classroom
  • use the funding to support student learning

Contact

For questions about the program, please contact your principal or school board office.