The union representing teachers and staff at local public schools has been notified that cuts are coming.
Erin Roy, the president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) District 9, said the Greater Essex County District School Board is planning to cut some positions but how many and what the impact will be are still unknown.
Roy said the union is meeting on Thursday to discuss the matter. She added teachers and support staff are all on the table but it doesn't necessarily mean there will be layoffs.
"We are in the midst of staffing our schools. This is incredibly late in the school year for the school board to have to make decisions about positions that will or won’t be available for next school year," said Roy. "With the very late release of the technical paper from the government, we are now left scrambling to implement a process that normally takes about two to three months to complete in a very short amount of time.
She said this undue stress rests solely on the government and their delay.
"This has caused undue stress to employees, management, and students as timetabling of student schedules for next school year is also significantly delayed," Roy added.
Roy said this is only round one of a four-year government plan and the cuts become deeper and much harder to manage in the future at the cost of students.
Minister of Education Lisa Thompson announced on March 15, 2019 that secondary school class size averages would increase from 22 to 28 over the next four years.
The OSSTF said the increase in class size average in secondary schools will result in a 25 per cent reduction in teaching positions and a subsequent loss of access to courses and program options for students.
Board spokesperson Scott Scantlebury told BlackburnNews.com nothing will be final until the budget is complete in late June. He added there are several factors still in play, including enrolment, class size, and on-going negotiations.
For more on the OSSTF report on the impact of increases in class size click here.
