Thames Valley cutting nearly 60 staff supporting special-needs students

Union leaders warn the layoffs come as the number of high-needs students continues to grow.

London’s public school board is cutting nearly 60 staff who work directly with special-needs students. The Thames Valley District school board, facing a $22.1-million deficit and a $9.2-million shortfall in special education funding, is eliminating education assistant and early childhood educator positions, some of which support special-needs students, union officials said Friday. There will be 34 early childhood educator layoffs and about two dozen education assistant positions eliminated, with fears more cuts could follow, said Mary Henry, president of OPSEU Local 4222, which represents support workers.

“It is devastating. Our children are not being valued by this government,” Henry said. Some children have severe learning disabilities, some use wheelchairs and have diminished motor skills, while others need nursing support.

“They may not get help. Their needs may not be met. There will be a lot of problems,” she said.

There should be about 24 students in an elementary classroom, but staff are bracing for classes of more than 30 students, with some projected to reach 38, she added. If a special-needs student does not have an ECE or EA to support them, it can disrupt learning for the entire class, Henry said. “Everyone will struggle.

It is hard to juggle 30 kids.” Last school year, the ratio of support staff to special education students was five to one. With the cuts, there are fears it could rise to seven to one, said Rebecca Avey, president of OPSEU Local 7575, which represents education assistants.

“They say funding has increased, but it has not. Morale has been low for a while, staff are exhausted and burned out. Workloads are very heavy,” Avey said.

“To cut more will be catastrophic to schools and communities. There is nothing left to cut.” Both Avey and Henry blamed chronic underfunding by the Ontario government.

In its budget, the Thames Valley District school board said staffing will be reduced by 157 full-time positions this year, after cutting 138 positions in 2025-26. The board could not be reached for comment Friday. The cuts also come as the number of special education students continues to grow.

The board has more than 100 high-needs students now, with about a dozen more expected to enter classrooms in September, Henry said. “We have an increasing number of students registering with special needs, and there are not enough staff,” Henry said. “The board is cutting these jobs and we need people who can work hands-on with children.”

The board employs about 500 early childhood educators and more than 800 education assistants. The board’s special education advisory committee, which advocates for special-needs students, could not be reached for comment. “I have had members with broken bones, contusions and concussions in the classroom.

They cannot take any more from a pot that is empty,” Avey said. For the 2026-27 fiscal year, the school board approved a $1.25-billion budget. Board budget documents show the deficit will more than double this year to $22.1 million from $10.6 million last year.

The budget lays out why the deficit has more than doubled in one year, stating costs exceed funding in: - Special education by $9.2 million. - Transportation by $5.1 million. - CPP/EI increases of $17 million. -

An additional $4.7 million in staff replacement costs for absences. - Utilities will increase $2.2 million due to rising electricity costs and three new schools in the system. The budget also cites declining enrolment.

Student enrolment is projected to fall by 2,760 in 2026-27.