Thames Valley school board won't fill 126 jobs as it deals with budget deficit

School staffers and the public are learning more about looming budget cuts as the Thames Valley District School Board tries to reduce a projected $18-million budget deficit. 

Board officials insist no permanent employees will lose their jobs as the deficit is trimmed to $7.6 million — but 126 staff members will be reassigned to other roles. Vacant positions won't be filled and retiring employees will not be replaced, staff told a board committee Tuesday. 

"No permanent employee will lose their position at Thames Valley," said associate director Linda Nicholls. "We will have vacancies and attrition and that's how positions are not filled, [but] all protected complement will be maintained through all collective agreements.   

"All staffing levels will be satisfied so there will be no increase in class sizes, period," director of education Mark Fisher assured trustees.

The $1.2-billion preliminary budget for the 2024-2025 school year shows the school board is in a structural deficit that requires the board to make "difficult decisions and a prioritization of resources," according to a report sent to trustees last week.

As a result, redistributed positions would include elementary and high school teachers, early childhood educators, learning coordinators, student and teacher support services, psychological and speech services. 

Thames Valley is the fourth largest school board in Ontario, with more than 85,000 students and more than 14,000 staff members. It plans to cut approximately $3 million in operating expenses across all departments. 

The board is projected to have only $3.6 million in accumulated surplus by Aug. 31 that will go toward paying down the deficit. Staff are requesting an extra $12.5 million from the province.

"In the ten years I've been a trustee, this is likely one of the most challenging and difficult years that I ever remember," said trustee Arlene Morell about the board's efforts to maintain staff and programming for students, while staying within the ministry of education's funding confinements. 

The deficit is related to statutory benefits and casual salaries not being properly funded, and overspending in the special education department, said superintendent Cathy Lynd.

Special education chair concerned

The special education deficit is projected at $3.3 million and "recognizes TVDSB's ongoing commitment to supporting programs and services for our students with complex learning needs," the report said. 

The board serves approximately 12,000 special needs students. 

In her presentation at Tuesday's meeting, Alison Morse, chair of Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), said while she endorses the current budget, she's concerned about the impacts staff reductions will have on student achievement. 

"The psychological services are important in terms of the assessment of student needs and making sure they provide recommendations for programming. The educational assistants are key for supporting students in the school depending on student needs," she said. 

"Parents are concerned about delays in professional assessments, they're concerned about the lack of EAs to support their child at school."

Morse wants additional funding to maintain these positions and increase the complement of educational assistants. She believes school boards need to advocate for increasing special education funding to the province, and for regular internal reviews to ensure these programs are serving students' needs, she said.

In February, the province announced $3.4 billion in special education grant funding across Ontario.

Since this year's deficit is greater than what is allowed by the ministry of education, the school board will need to submit a deficit recovery plan with the approved budget as part of the province's mandate for a balanced budget by the 2026-2027 school year. 

The board will give the budget a final approval on June 25.