Students returning to school in the fall may find some shuttered classrooms as a result of millions of dollars in budget cuts being implemented by the Toronto District School Board.
The TDSB’s budget, which was passed in June, contained $67.8 million in staff reductions and service delivery changes over the next two years in order to address a $42.1 million reduction in funding from the province, as well as budget deficit of $25.7 million.
According to a report in the Toronto Star, the budget cuts included the elimination of 52 caretaker positions, which have now prompted the board to close some empty classrooms.
The newspaper said that the board sent notices to schools with a suggested number of classrooms to close during the last week of school in June. Those numbers were based largely on enrollment.
“There were custodial reductions that were part of the TDSB budget approved last month. To help make those reductions, the decision was made to close unused classrooms in schools so that they no longer have to be cleaned. Lighting and heating will also be lowered to reduce energy costs,” TDSB Spokesperson Ryan Bird told CP24 on Tuesday.
Bird told CP24 that the exact number of classrooms that will be shuttered has not yet been determined and will be finalized over the summer.
The move is impacting both elementary and secondary schools within the TDSB.
