While most Ontario students are still enjoying the last stretch of summer vacation, some in the Greater Toronto Area have already been in class for weeks. At Tony Pontes Public School in Caledon, classes began at the end of July under a balanced school calendar — an alternative schedule that spreads breaks more evenly throughout the year while keeping the total number of school days the same.
Three other Peel schools — Roberta Bondar Public School, Ray Lawson Public School, and Peel Alternative School Central — also follow modified calendars. Families at Tony Pontes, including co-chair of the school council Roberto Sarjoo, say the model has worked well. Sarjoo, whose three children have attended the school since kindergarten, believes the approach has eased both family and student stress. “It’s been a fantastic ride,” he said. “The summer flies by, and camps are so expensive. This gives us more breaks throughout the year, and even forces me and my wife to step away from our 9-to-5s.”
Under the schedule, students have shorter summer holidays but enjoy more frequent breaks: a week in October, three weeks at Christmas, a week in February, and a two-week March break. Sarjoo said his children return to learning more quickly, and teachers avoid the long adjustment period common in September.
The program has been expanding. For 2025–2026, the province approved modified calendars at 15 schools across Ontario, including in Peel, Durham, York, Toronto, and Ottawa. However, local trustee Stan Cameron noted that most schools in Peel lack air conditioning, which is essential for year-round classes. Of the board’s 260 schools, only three have proper A/C systems. “If the province invested in retrofitting, more boards would consider the model,” Cameron said, adding that community interest has been strong.
Educators and psychologists also see promise. Todd Cunningham, a University of Toronto professor and school psychologist, said balanced calendars can reduce learning loss, improve mental health, and ease the “summer slide” where students forget material over long breaks. He called the model “more equitable,” particularly for students from lower-income or newcomer families, though he acknowledged expanding it across Ontario would require major infrastructure investments that may not be a current priority.
Despite those challenges, families like the Sarjoos say the model has changed their school experience for the better. “It’s worked fantastic for our family,” Sarjoo said, “and it’s given us more opportunities to be together throughout the year.”