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With reduction in teachers, Catholic board trustees pass 'challenging' $275M budget

Teaching staff decreased by 26.5 full-time positions (23 secondary and 3.5 elementary) despite a projected increase in enrolment
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NEWS RELEASE
SIMCOE MUSKOKA CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
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On Monday, the Board of Trustees for the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board passed a balanced operating budget for the 2019-2020 school year in the amount of $274,698,545.

The focus for the board was to retain staffing levels, which account for approximately 78 per cent of the annual budget. Through retirements, resignations, promotions and finding savings in other areas, all permanent employees who were declared surplus or redundant in the spring, have been recalled to either a permanent position or will be assigned to a long-term occasional position.

“This budget was indeed challenging, but I am heartened that we were able to retain our focus on our strategic priorities and provide some measure of security in terms of program and service delivery for the upcoming year,” said Brian Beal, Director of Education. “Our employees are our most precious and valuable resource and so it was really important for us to recall those staff who received notices earlier this year when we were dealing with so much uncertainty surrounding our funding.”

The number of teaching staff at the SMCDSB has decreased by 26.5 full-time positions (23 secondary and 3.5 elementary) despite a projected increase in enrolment in both the elementary and secondary panels. This decrease in the number of positions is based on the government’s increase in class size averages to 24.5 at the elementary level and 28 at the secondary level.

“There is no doubt that these staffing cuts will impact program and service delivery for our students,” said Carol Corriveau-Truchon, Board Chair. “We can’t expect to increase class sizes, decrease staffing levels and still provide our students with the same number, variety and depth of programs and services. The math just doesn’t add up”

“But, the provincial government did provide attrition funds to offset class size increases and that provided some temporary relief for staffing pressures for this upcoming year,” said Corriveau-Truchon.

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