Did you know that on July 18, 2024, the Ontario Ministry of Education announced that starting in September, all private schools inspected by the Ministry must pay a fee to retain their license? It’s true – read below to find out more about this new revelation for school owners to consider:

Before the Pandemic, when private high schools in Ontario were inspected for compliance with the Ministry of Education rules, a fee was charged, which reached as high as $7000 per inspection. This fee is non-refundable and non-negotiable; if you refuse to pay, you instantly lose your license. 

However, in 2020, during the pandemic, these fees were waived due to the lack of true due diligence inspectors could utilize when conducting inspections virtually. This necessitated a change to the rules as early as April of 2020 when I was first informed that my inspection fees for the school I was Principal for at the time were being waived. Though this did result in a slightly better bottom line for the year, it had seemed that this would be a temporary waiver at best. Yet, here we are in 2024, and fees have still not been reinstated. Despite this, in-person inspections began to be conducted again in 2022 and have continued ever since. This led to the Ministry’s conclusion that they needed to “recoup costs” from conducting inspections, and this means that starting September 1st, all schools in Ontario that receive a Ministry inspection must again pay almost $7k in order to receive their license. 

School owners should be aware that these fees constitute a Ministry requirement, and I know of no cases where a request to waive the fee was granted. Schools should be prepared to set aside this fee before their inspection year begins. It is vital to be on time when making remittances to the government, as their tolerance for late payments is low. 

When considering opening a Private High School in Toronto, it is vital to understand all potential costs, as well as all mandatory costs, when building the business plan. Remember that Brian Campbell Consulting can assist you in creating your business plan and use cases for various services, partnerships, and software. You are in good hands when you trust the professionals!

Fees are important, but it is important to understand why they exist so that you can make the best choice for your school. Contact us to learn more!