70 full-time positions cut after Windsor's public school board passes latest budget
The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) has passed a balanced budget for the 2019-20 year, aimed at tackling funding changes by the Ford government — but it's a budget which has many trustees expressing deep concern.
On Tuesday, the GECDSB unanimously approved a $462.9 million operating budget, which includes a deficit of about $930,000.
The budget will result in the loss of 70 full-time positions, according to the board. For trustee Gale Hatfield, that was the most worrying part of approving the latest budget.
"Anytime you pass a budget where there is a loss of jobs involved, it's very hard because whatever job it is, ... it affects kids in the classroom," said Hatfield, adding she supported it because the board's financial staff worked hard to balance the budget.
"It was between a rock and a hard place on this one."
During the meeting, Hatfield referred to some of the changes in this year's budget as "awful," adding the provincial government is asking too much from school boards to accommodate funding shortfalls.
"I understand you made the necessary adjustments to the budget, but I just wanted to comment that I don't have to like it," she said during the meeting.
So what's in the budget?
School boards currently receive funding for one teacher per 24 students. But with the province's plan to increase class sizes, boards will now receive funding for one teacher per 25 students in grades four to eight — resulting in a funding reduction of $1.8 million at the GECDSB.
For grades nine through 12, the ratio has been changed from 22 students per one teacher to 28 students. For the GECDSB, that will result in a loss of $16.1 million.
"The increase in class size requirements has contributed to the decrease in teachers and will continue to result in a decrease during the four-year phase of the new class size funding model," the budget report reads.
The 2019-20 budget will also see the end of the board's Local Priorities Fund, which supports 37 full-time staff.
It includes seven child youth workers, three development services workers, one speech-language pathologist, one support worker for the hard-of-hearing and two behaviour management workers.
"It comes down to whether or not those positions are funded ... But we also need to preserve class sizes according to the terms of our collective agreement," said board treasurer Shelley Armstrong.
"Whether we get that funding back ... we might see something there. But at this point, we've made the assumption that we won't receive that funding."
Creating a budget with the province's education changes hanging over the board's head has been very difficult, according to Armstrong. She said the board received funding from the province much later than it has in past years.
Of the 70 staff expected to be eliminated, Armstrong adds some may be allowed to stay within the board to replace retirees or serve as substitute teachers — but those numbers won't be finalized until the school year starts in September.
"Once we have an idea of final enrolment, then we'll have a better feel for the number of teachers that are actually going to be impacted by the funding changes."
