After Trillium Lakelands District School Board (TLDSB) reported an $8 million surplus for the 2023/24 school year, Bill Campbell, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 997, said that money should be invested to improve safety and provide greater supports for students inside the classroom.
Speaking to The Highlander, Campbell said he was dismayed to hear the school board reporting such a large surplus while some of his unionized employees were complaining about a lack of resources – including personnel – to effectively do their jobs.
A survey conducted in October by CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) revealed 88 per cent of CUPE employees at TLDSB say staffing must increase to meet the needs of students.
CUPE 997 represents approximately 800 members across 56 TLDSB schools who work as educational assistants and clerical, maintenance, custodial and technical staff – Campbell said 263, or just under 33 per cent, participated in the survey.
Of those who did respond, more than 75 per cent said they are exposed to a violent incident on school property at least once a month, with approximately 33 per cent exposed to violence daily. Over half say their workspace is evacuated at least once a month due to violent and disruptive behaviour.
There were no specific details provided about violence in Haliburton County schools. Campbell said EAs generally bear the brunt of the behaviours.
“When most of our people got into this job, the role was much more focused on helping students with their educational needs. Whereas now, it’s almost all about being a bodyguard and protecting other students and staff,” Campbell said. “The job has definitely changed over the last 15 to 20 years.”
He puts that down to a lack of funding from the Ontario government – according to the union, TLDSB has consistently received less money year-over-year since 2012.
Campbell argued that if funding had kept up with inflation, the school board would have received an additional $27.3 million for the previous school year, which could have hired an extra 365 fulltime education workers.
Based on local EAs earning $29.05 per hour and working approximately 1,435 hours per year, TLDSB could hire an additional 191 classroom supports with its $8 million surplus. The board currently has 246 full-time EAs.
“A lot of kids today act out because they don’t feel heard, they don’t feel they can communicate their feelings and some of that is because they’re ignored because there just aren’t enough people to support them,” he said.
Campbell believes the issue is worse than it appears – he said many staff have told him they don’t report incidents because everything needs to be logged digitally and EAs don’t have access to board-provided devices at work. He said there are some students who require assistance but don’t get it, with EAs told to focus on those with behavioral issues.
“Students come to school to get a good education, but in some cases they aren’t getting it because everybody is focused on the high-priority students,” Campbell said.
Carolynne Bull, TLDSB director of communications, said the board has invested in additional training for staff in recent years to help support students with social emotional learning skills and managing conflict and stress effectively.
She said in-class staffing is “based on the identified specific student supports required to thrive in the classroom.”
Bull noted TLDSB will reinvest its surplus funds, with senior administration reviewing priorities. She said improvements to special education programming and investing in new technology for skilled trades programs are being considered.
Weather zones
TLDSB has introduced a new zoned approach for inclement weather days, effective Jan. 7.
If transportation is cancelled in one or more zones due to inclement weather, no buses will travel to any schools within the cancelled zone. Schools will remain open, but parents and guardians will be responsible for drop-off and pick-up.
All County schools – Archie Stouffer in Minden, J.D. Hodgson, Stuart Baker, Hal High and the Adult and Alternate Education Centre in Haliburton, and both Cardiff and Wilberforce elementary schools – will fall in Zone 3.
Bus cancellation information can be found on the TLDSB website, mybustoschool.ca, or through local radio stations.
Bill Campbell, president of CUPE local 997 representing school support staff in Haliburton, says more money needs to be spent supporting students in the classroom.
