Ottawa public school board proposes staff cuts to help address 2023-24 budget deficit
Ottawa's largest school board is looking to cut 21 discretionary staff positions for the 2023-24 school year, as it deals with a projected multi-million dollar budget deficit.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board will finalize the academic staffing plan for the new school year on Monday night, the first step of the annual budget process.
The board is facing a projected $15 million to $20 million budget deficit for the 2023-24 school year due to a rise in operating costs, the discontinuation of COVID-19 funding from the Ontario government and increasing costs for replacing absent teachers.
In a report for Monday's meeting, staff recommend a reduction of 21.23 discretionary academic staff positions for 2023-24, saving an estimated $2.33 million.
"Recognizing that the number of positions is small relative to the number of academic staffing positions, it is expected that this savings target can be achieved through attrition," staff say.
The recommended cuts include 8 instructional coaches in elementary schools, 6 instructional coaches in secondary schools, two elementary special education learning support consultants, 3.57 FTE positions for primary special needs classes and 5.83 FTE positions for learning support teachers in secondary special education.
The proposed budget for academic staffing in elementary and secondary schools is $528 million next school year, which provides for 4,938.67 full-time equivalent positions. Staff say there will be 151 new FTE positions in elementary schools and 39 more FTE positions in secondary schools for 2023-24 than the 2022-23 school year.
Academic staffing accounts for approximately 60 to 65 per cent of the total OCDSB operating budget, and includes school-based and central teaching positions.
With the $2.3 million in savings through the elimination of 21 staffing positions, staff say the OCDSB still needs to find between $13 million and $18 million in savings in the non-academic staffing parts of the budget to balance the books for the 2023-24 school year.
OCDSB facing $15 million to $20 million deficit
The Ottawa Carleton District School Board is waiting for information from the Ministry of Education about provincial funding for the 2023-24 school year. Staff say there has been ongoing contact with the ministry and other school board partners to learn about provincial transfer payments for the new school year.
"At the time of this report, the provincial budget released on March 27, 2023 does not indicate any substantive funding for increased cost pressures or new initiatives in education," staff say in the report. "We remain hopeful that the Grants for Student Needs will address some of these cost pressures."
Staff say they have been reviewing budgets, expenditures and forecasts and implementing cost control measures for the current year to offset future shortfalls.
Trustees were told in February the projected deficit for the 2023-24 school year was between $9 million and $39 million, and that number has been reduced to a projected $15 million to $20 million shortfall.
Staff say reserve funds have been "depleted" and the board does not have the accumulated funds in reserve to continue running a deficit budget. The OCDSB had a "healthy accumulated surplus" in 2019, but used a large portion of the accumulated surplus to cover COVID-19 related costs.
For the 2022-23 school year, the board used $9 million in surplus cash for operating budgets.
The full 2023-24 OCDSB budget is expected to be approved by the end of June.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Doctors combine a pig kidney transplant and a heart device in a bid to extend woman's life
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.