Special education cuts made as Windsor-Essex public school board tries to balance books
CBC
More than 60 jobs will be cut at the Greater Essex County District School Board, trustees decided Tuesday, in a "restructuring" one of its special education programs and the elimination of others as the board presents a plan to get back to a balanced budget.
In a recorded vote, with two trustees in opposition, the board approved a multi-year financial recovery plan. The plan is mandated by the Ministry of Education after the board presented a budget this year with a deficit that amounted to 1.4 per cent of its operating allocation.
With the plan, the board will have two years to get back to a balanced budget. The plan looks specifically at programs and jobs that are currently unfunded by the ministry.
The plan phases out the board's international baccalaureate (IB) program and eliminates the IB primary years program.
The gallery at Tuesday's meeting was packed with people concerned with the cuts. Many were parents with children in special education programs, while others were representatives of those educators and one delegation spoke about the IB program.
The board's decision was met with outcry from the gallery, prompting board chair Gale Hatfield to ask the gallery to leave — though many were already on the way out of the room.
The plan eliminates 34.5 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in a "restructuring" of the Reaching Individual Success and Excellence (RISE) program.
Ilana Mizel is the parent of a child in the RISE program. Visibly emotional while speaking to the board, she likened the program cut to "abandoning" children.
"It's a lifeline for students including my son," she said.
"We're essentially telling these children and their families that they are not worth the investment."
After the meeting, several parents said they were "devastated" and "defeated" by the board's decision.
Hatfield told reporters the decision was not an easy one for trustees.
"This is not easy to deal with, it's very personal and very emotional for many of the people that spoke to us," she said.
"However we have a legal obligation to have a balanced budget … I am confident that our administration presented us with the best option to consider."
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