'This hit us out of left field': Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board to cut over 100 staff positions
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board will cut over 100 staff positions for the new school year, including numerous secretarial staff, the school board told CP24 on Tuesday.
In a statement to CP24, board spokesperson Bruce E. Campbell said that secretarial positions are tied to school enrolment, which has been declining year-over-year. According to Campbell, the school board is anticipating another enrollment decline of approximately 1.3 per cent next school year, which has made staffing cuts unavoidable.
Campbell also cited the provincial government’s elimination of COVID-19 Learning Recovery Funding as a contributing factor to staffing cuts, which will span across several unions and associations. Cuts will be made based on seniority, according to Campbell.
CUPE2026 is the union which represents the clerical, secretarial and technical employees of DPCDSB. In a statement to CP24, union president Lisa Maye called the events which led to these cuts a “double whammy” due to the decline in enrollment and reduced funding from the province.
“There’s bumping, and there will be layoffs,” she said, adding that some staff members may stay employed by DPCDSB in lower-level jobs or at different schools.
“It’s dependent on their seniority,” she said.
“We just found out this information recently,” she continued. “There’s not much we can do. We’ve negotiated the language around ‘bumping,’ which allows members to have some sort of job protection. But this hit us kind of out of left field.”
Reduced funding from the province may result in cut jobs and programming at schools across Ontario, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) warned in March.
“We need adequate, stable and predictable ministry funding to provide the necessary programs and services for our students’ academic success and well-being so that they may emerge from the pandemic ready for whatever comes their way,” officials wrote.
In a statement to CP24, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said the Peel-Dufferin Catholic District School Board received a bump in funding compared to last year, adding that average base per-pupil funding for PDCDSB students has increased by 10.2 per cent, "despute a major drop in enrolment of nearly 8,000 students."
"We will continue to increase investments where students need it the most, focused on reading and math skills," continues the statement.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.