By rdnewsNOW staff

Over 200 workers to stay on

Wild Rose School Division avoids support staff layoffs

Apr 2, 2020 | 10:01 AM

Wild Rose School Division (WRSD) says it has managed to avoid layoffs or work reductions for more than 200 school based support staff at this time despite newly announced provincial funding cuts.

The number includes approximately 130 educational assistants.

On Saturday, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said $128 million in K-12 funding is being cut province-wide and directed to Alberta’s COVID-19 pandemic response. For Wild Rose School Division, this meant an approximate 12.5% reduction to its base instruction grant for May and June.

LaGrange said school support staff, including educational assistants, substitute teachers and bus drivers, would be laid off and left it to local school districts to implement the reductions. Wild Rose says it utilized this flexibility they were given to provide solutions and options that best fit the needs of the division and its communities.

Through the first three weeks of cancelled classes and the last week and a half of working through the continuity of learning for students, WRSD says it has seen how valuable support staff have been in contributing to the at-home learning being provided to students and families.

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“This is not surprising to us. It might be tempting for some in the public to conclude that since our schools are closed to students (that) our support staff do not have meaningful work. Nothing could be farther from the truth,” says Board Chair Russ Hickman. “We know how important our support staff are to the ongoing learning needs and well-being of all our students and especially our most vulnerable students.”

This week’s latest funding cuts comes on the heels of a 51% reduction to the division’s transportation grant for April, May and June, which WRSD addressed with a corresponding 51% reduction to the three privately-operated bus contractors that provide transportation for students.

Wild Rose School Division says the cancellation of in-person classes has led to some cost savings that have allowed them to meet the required funding cuts without the need for layoffs at this time. The division says refunds for unspent school fees as a result of cancelled classes will also be sent to students and parents in the coming weeks.

“WRSD acknowledges that these are challenging times that require collaborative solutions,” the division says in a release. “Our school communities and local economy are being hit hard. We value the skilled and creative work being done by all of our employees as we work together to provide at-home learning opportunities and wellness support for all of our students. If there was ever a time to maintain meaningful work for all of our employees in the delivery of powerful learning opportunities for all of our students, it certainly is a time such as this.”

On Wednesday, Red Deer Public Schools announced it is postponing layoffs of 258 educational assistants from May 1 to June 1. Other local districts have yet to announce their plans.