Thames Valley board exploring closing schools amid budget woes

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The Thames Valley District school board is exploring whether it can close schools as it tries to dig out of an $18-million budget hole that is forcing the board to slash spending and eliminate more than 120 positions.

Education director Mark Fisher told trustees at a committee meeting Tuesday that board officials are investigating the idea of closing schools with the Ministry of Education.

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The former Liberal government slapped a moratorium on school closings before the Doug Ford-led Progressive Conservatives swept to power in 2018.

To date the Ford government has upheld the moratorium.

“We have had meetings . . . with the Ministry (of Education) to ask for potential dispensation or conditional approvals with community support around conditionally lifting the moratorium,” Fisher said. “The ministry has indicated a willingness to consider this option if the community is supportive of that decision.

“We are continuing to advocate in that space.”

Closing schools has been a hot button issue in the Thames Valley board. Officials in municipalities where the board floated the idea of closing schools have pushed back hard, citing research that found negative impacts when schools close, especially in rural areas.

Fisher spoke at the meeting where board officials discussed a preliminary $1.2-billion budget for the 2024-25 school year that outlines cuts, including 124 positions, to reduce the board’s projected deficit to $7.6 million from $18 million forecast in February.

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Fifty-eight elementary and 24 high school teaching positions would be eliminated along with 17 early childhood educator positions, as well as jobs in speech and psychological services.

Associate director Linda Nicholls said no one would lose their jobs if the cuts are approved. Employees would be redeployed to fill vacant positions and those created by attrition.

“No permanent employee will lose their position in Thames Valley,” she said.

The board also plans to cut operating expenses by $3 million in all departments.

The board’s deficit is being driven in part by a 13 per cent increase in mental health leaves for teachers, education assistants and early childhood educators since the COVID-19 pandemic began and $1.6 million in employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan expenses due to rate changes between 2024 and projected 2025 rates.

The Thames Valley board is not the only board wrangling with a large deficit as the deadline for boards to approve spending plans for the next school year nears.

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The Greater Essex County District school board is dealing with a deficit of more than $10 million.

Trustees there met Wednesday to look at cuts to the board’s $500-million budget before it is approved on June 18.

“The pressures are variable,” said Scott Scantlebury, a spokesperson for the board. “The cost of maintaining an effective level of special education programming, unfunded positions within the board and the cost of absenteeism and transportation.

“It’s pretty similar to what is happening everywhere.”

Lambton Kent District school board has put a building up for sale to deal with its $1,781,000 deficit, the Petrolia Independent reports.

The John N. Given Learning Centre in Chatham closed in 2018 and the building turned into a learning centre.

The sale would also save the board $300,000 annually in operation costs.

But not every school board is in the same boat.

The London District Catholic school board has a modest deficit of $1.9 million because of ”a rapid rise in student enrollment,” spokesperson Mark Adkinson said. The deficit is in compliance with Ministry of Education guidelines, he said.

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“We are also continually hiring new employees,” Adkinson said. “We have hired more than 1,100 people in the last two years bringing our numbers to just 4,400.”

The board needs to hire an additional 150 teachers and 100 educational assistants, he said.

The Grand Erie District school board is celebrating a “a balanced budget,” spokesperson Dave Smouter said.

The province requires school boards to prepare balanced budgets. A board is allowed to have a one per cent deficit if has a surplus able to cover it.

The Thames Valley board’s projected $7.8 million is more than one per cent of its operating revenue so the board needs to submit a deficit recovery plan with the approved 2024-2025 budget.

As well, Thames Valley must have a balanced budget by 2026-27 and a surplus balance of approximately $20 million – two per cent of the board’s operating costs – by 2027-28. 

Trustees are expected to approve the 2024-25 budget on June 25.

Full-time Thames Valley board positions on the chopping block

Elementary teachers: 58

Secondary teachers: 24

Early childhood educators: 17

Clerical: 4

Educational assistants: 2

Psychological services: 4

Speech services: 4

Computer services: 3

Student and staff support: 4.6

Facility services: 3

Secondary principals: 1

Social work: 0.6

Second vice-principal: 0.5

Learning co-ordinators: 1.5

Board administration and governance: 2

hrivers@postmedia.com

@HeatheratLFP

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