The argument over whether or not to keep all of Toronto's school pools open will continue for at least a few more months.

The Toronto District School Board has deferred a final decision on the future of 26 pools until the end of June. But the board agreed during its meeting on Wednesday night that 13 other pools would be allowed to remain open.

"We're going to keep 13 pools open. We're going to defer the remainder until June 30 and see if we can find ways, creatively with the private sector, potential [permit holders], the City of Toronto, and other partners to try to come up with solutions," said Trustee Josh Matlow.

Staff had recommended closing seven pools. Trustees instead added those to a list of 19 to be kept operating until the end of June while the search for funding continues.

David Crombie, who chaired a committee that studied the pools issue, said he stands by his recommendations.

"Our recommendations are still the same. And those recommendations are, of course, that there be 32 pools — seven pools that we recommend should be closed as a consequence of our analysis, but 32 pools that are still alive and ought to be considered an opportunity for use," said Crombie.

Toronto has 79 pools at schools, but only 30 city-run indoor pools for its 2.5 million residents, so many public swim programs operate in school pools.

On Tuesday Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said the province would provide between $12 and $14 million in capital funding for pool repairs. Still missing, however, is the $4 million needed annually to operate the pools.

The fight now is over who will provide that $4 million.

The TDSB says it just doesn't have the money since it is already wrestling with a $28-million deficit.

City hall says it isn't responsible. Education, argues the city, is a provincial responsibility. Caught in the middle are the swimming pools and the people who use them.

"I think it's a case of everyone waiting for everyone else to pony up the money, but nobody's doing so" said parent Karin Staley who joined a protest outside the board offices on Wednesday night.

"So, I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen," she said.