Class size increases could reduce high school programs: TVDSB

The Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) is set to draft thefall budget now that the province has released its funding allocations, or Grants for Student Needs, but the board says an increase in class sizes and lower per-pupil funding means some programs could be eliminated.

"It's welcomedthat we have our Grants for Student Needs in the funding so our staff are able to further develop our budget," said TVDSBDirector of Education Laura Elliott in an interview Fridaywith CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive.

"Typically, we would receive the grants for student needs around the end of March, so this has been a little bit later than it has been in the past. It really means that our staff will be hard at it as we file our board budget at the end of June."

• Ford government poised to spend $1.6B to ensure no teachers lose jobs due to larger class sizes

The Ford government announced Friday that it is pledging $24.66 billion in overall funding for the upcoming school year, slightly more than2018-2019. But with rising enrolment, per pupil funding is lower.

"The difference in funding is going to hit the hardest at the secondary school level," said Elliott.

"We have hands-on courses that are fewer than 22 students and significantly less than 28 students, so that's where it's going to be very difficult to offer that range of programming for our secondary school students."

As the funding allocations were released Friday, it will be a matter of time before the board can determine what courses could be eliminated.

The province is increasing the average high school class size from 22 to 28 students, over fouryears. Average class sizes for Grades 4 to 8 will increase by one student per classroom.

Avoiding teacher layoffs

Education Minister Lisa Thompson has said no teacher will "involuntarily" lose their job.

The government announced$1.6 billion in attrition protection to ensure there are no layoffs. School boards are expected to have a surplus of faculty as class sizes are increased, and it is not clear what role surplus teachers will play.

Elliot says theTVDSB has so farnot issued any layoff notices.

"We are looking at all of our sources of revenue, our operational dollars, and trying at least for the upcoming school year to mitigate losses to support our schools, classrooms and course options for our students," she said.

• Ontario slightly increases school board funding, but per-student amount drops

School boards are still waiting for the software from the province that will allow them to perform the required analysis of their grants.

And while school boards are wading into their budget planning, teachers and education workers are preparing fortheir contracts to expire at the end of August.

The Ford government says it plans to start bargaining with the unions as early as Monday.