33 teaching positions to be eliminated by the Thames Valley District School Board

Officials with the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) say dozens of high school teaching positions will be eliminated due to lower-than-expected enrollment.

School board leadership recognized they were going to be about 350 high school students below initial estimates as they entered the second semester.

Acting Board Chair Bill Tucker said they had to come up with a plan, "We brought in a team of principals to help us do that so we can avoid unintended consequences. But it is going to result in the loss of approximately 33 teachers, which is just shy of $2 million."

Tucker told CTV News that projecting enrollment is not an exact science and points to the static housing market as one reason why enrollment dipped, "Families are not buying homes the way they did previously. They're not moving to different, larger homes the way they did previously. So, all that impact has a domino effect in terms of our enrollment and our projections."

Tucker said full-time, permanent teachers shouldn't be impacted, but occasional teachers will likely lose opportunities,

"It's precarious work,” noted John Bernans. Bernans is president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 11, which represent TVDSB high school teachers.

Acting TVDSB Director Bill Tucker outlined the impacts of an enrollment shortfall on Dec. 19, 2024. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London)

"On a daily basis, you know, they hope that the phone will ring and they'll go and work when they're called. They hope to land a long-term position when there's a vacancy, say a parental leave or something,” he said.

Bernans expects unique programs with smaller class sizes will be cut and, overall, class sizes will be maxed out in the new year. He said those bigger classes take a toll on teachers and impact learning.

He believes the provincial funding model continues to fail the system, "The Ford government has cut $1,500 per student since they came to power since 2019, when you consider inflation. So, for Thames Valley, that's $125 million that's essentially been taken out of the budget."

Tucker admits impacts may be felt beyond the classroom, "Many of these teachers are coaching. They are assisting with clubs, field trips. So, we really want to minimize any potential impact on kids."

Principals from the board’s 27 high schools will determine who will be impacted before the new semester.

Bernans questions why announcements couldn’t have been made sooner, reducing the impact on those celebrating the holiday season.

Tucker said the board currently has a $16-million budget deficit and is looking at revenue generation opportunities, including the sale of surplus properties.

He added that the board continues to work with the Ministry of Education to address the deficit concerns.

Bernans said the OSSTF District 11 membership includes approximately 1,700 permanent teachers and about 1,000 occasional teachers.