Key Takeaways
- The EMSB staff cuts plan eliminates more than 100 special-needs support positions.
- Parents and unions warn cuts could harm vulnerable students.
- School board cites budget pressures and restricted surplus funds.
The English Montreal School Board is expected to approve a proposal Tuesday that would eliminate more than 100 positions supporting special-needs students, prompting concerns from parents and union representatives who warn the cuts could affect vulnerable children.
The proposed reductions come as the EMSB works to balance its budget amid financial pressures. According to the union representing support workers, 117 positions are slated for elimination, including attendants and special-needs technicians. Some of the affected positions are currently vacant.
Parents and advocacy groups say the move could reduce support for students who rely on specialized services in schools across the board.
Parents And Union Warn Of Impact
Vassilios Mandelos, chair of the advisory committee on Special Education Services and a parent of a child attending an EMSB school, questioned the decision behind the EMSB Staff Cuts, which target positions that directly assist students with special needs.
“We all know the current challenges within the system and the lack of funding to support these special needs students, and to remove all of those roles, particularly in those areas, it’s unfathomable,” Mandelos said.
Union officials say employees are already struggling to meet student needs because of existing staffing shortages.
Kim Watson, vice-president of the Association professionnelle du personnel administratif, said many workers routinely skip breaks and lunches to keep up with their responsibilities.
“They’re starting to suffer. They’re getting sick, injured, they’re feeling desperate, they’re calling us up in tears, very often,” Watson said. “And that was before the added cuts announced this year.”
Watson said the proposed reductions could place additional strain on remaining staff while limiting support available to students.
School Board Blames Funding Restrictions
The EMSB says the proposed EMSB Staff Cuts are part of broader efforts to reduce spending and address budget challenges.
School board spokesperson Mike Cohen said government restrictions have prevented the board from accessing approximately $60 million in surplus funds that could help offset its deficit.
Cohen also said policy changes have made it more difficult for the board to attract international students, reducing a source of revenue.
“It’s like me being told by my bank, you have savings, but you’re not allowed to use them,” Cohen said. “We’re not letting you take your savings out — this is our money.”
The board argues that limited financial flexibility has left officials with few options as they seek to balance spending and maintain services.
A final decision on the proposal is expected during a board meeting on Tuesday. Parents, staff and union representatives continue to call on officials to reconsider the EMSB Staff Cuts, arguing that students with special needs could face the greatest impact if support positions are eliminated.
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