The $249 million staffing hole

The York Region District School Board plans to cut up to 249 education positions, including educational assistants, secretarial and administrative staff, information technology workers, and library technicians.. The union and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions strongly condemn the planned cuts, saying they will affect vulnerable students.

According to a union, up to 249 staff people are expected to lose their jobs at the York Region District School Board before classes begin in September. The York Region District School Board informed the union that it plans to cut up to 249 education positions, including more than 201 educatoinal assistants, 36 secretarial and administrative staff, six information technology workers and six library technicians.

The union, CUPE 1734, and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) strongly condemn the planned cuts, saying the layoffs would affect some of the most vulnerable students in the board.

They claim the cuts will have a devastating impact on YRDSB students, families, staff and school communities. The board, however, said enrolment across the province has declined and enrolment at the YRDSB is projected to decline again next year. They also stated that staffing is enrolment-driven and for the 2026-2027 school year, they will not have enough student enrolment relative to the number of permanent staff.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The union president, Michelle Campbell, said the planned cuts are not simply a staffing issue, but a student safety issue, a human rights issue, and a public education issue. She claimed that every number on these lists represents a real worker supporting real students, and every single cut will be felt inside our schools.

The schools are already critically understaffed, and instead of investing in the supports students clearly need, the school board is threatening to cut education workers who provide direct care, intervention , emotional support, and stability in schools every single day.

Why 4,000 unsold units became the prize

The York Region District School Board's decision to cut up to 249 education positions has sparked concerns about student safety and support. The union and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions strongly condemn the planned cuts, saying they will affect vulnerable students.

The board's decision to cut staff positions is based on declining enrolment across the province and at the YRDSB. However, the union argues that the cuts will have a devastating impact on YRDSB students, families, staff and school communities.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

The union president, Michelle Campbell, said the planned cuts are not simply a staffing issue, but a student safety issue, a human rights issue, and a public education issue. She claimed that every number on these lists represents a real worker supporting real students, and every single cut will be felt inside our schools.

The schools are already critically understaffed, and instead of investing in the supports students clearly need, the school board is threatening to cut education workers who provide direct care, intervention, emotional support, and stability in schools every single day.