How much does private school cost in Ontario?
In Durham Region, published elementary tuition runs roughly $8,400 to $17,000 a year, with the Montessori schools clustering around $11,000 to $13,000 once materials fees are counted. Toronto day schools run well above that, and boarding schools are a different market entirely at $60,000 and up.
Those are real published figures rather than estimates, gathered in August 2026. What follows is what actually drives them, because the number makes much more sense once you can see the arithmetic underneath it.
What you're paying for
Overwhelmingly, adults. A teacher paid enough to attract someone good costs about $67,000 once employer contributions, insurance and vacation are counted, and an assistant about $42,000. Divide that by the number of children in the group and you have most of your tuition already.
Then the building, insurance, administration, utilities, materials and everything else, which lands somewhere near $3,700 per student per year for a small school. That's why class size and tuition are the same conversation: at $8,000 a school can support roughly 15 students per teacher, at $12,000 roughly 8.
What the number does not tell you
Two schools at the same price can be doing very different things. Ask what's included and what's billed separately: materials fees, technology fees, trips, uniform, and the enrolment deposit are commonly outside the headline figure.
Ask about the increase, too. A tuition that rises 5% a year is 28% higher by the time a Grade 1 student reaches Grade 6, and almost nobody puts that on the website.
Where The Galt Academy sits
We're aiming at $8,000 to $12,000 a year for full time, with part-time places likely. That's below most comparable options in Durham for a program that does considerably more.
The exact figure is set before anybody enrols, and founding families keep the rate they join at for as long as their child is here. We would rather publish a range now than quote nothing and make you ask.
Questions about Straight answer
Is private school tuition tax deductible in Canada?
Generally no for the tuition itself. Some portion may qualify as a child care expense in specific circumstances, and religious schools sometimes issue partial donation receipts. Ask an accountant about your own situation rather than a school.
Why is private school cheaper in Durham than in Toronto?
Mostly the building. Property costs are the largest fixed expense after salaries, and a school pays them whether or not a seat is filled.
Do you offer financial assistance?
Not yet, and we would rather say so than imply otherwise. It's on the list of things the founding families and we will work out together before the first year.
Join the founding families list
The Academy opens when the founding cohort is full. Families on the list get first places, help set the first year's calendar, and keep the founding rate for as long as their child is enrolled.