As the familiar yellow school buses prepare to roll again this September, a storm is brewing in the halls of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. What began as budget discussions has escalated into a public dispute between CUPE Local 1453 and board officials over the future of educational assistant positions.
“We’ve received notices that 28 EA positions are being eliminated,” says Rebecca Rowe, president of CUPE 1453, which represents nearly 900 education workers across the district. “That’s 28 vulnerable students who won’t have the support they desperately need.”
The union raised the alarm after receiving what they describe as “displacement notices” for educational assistants last week. These specially trained staff members provide critical one-on-one support for students with special needs, from physical disabilities to learning challenges.
Board officials paint a different picture. “There will be absolutely no reduction in the number of EAs supporting our students with special education needs,” counters Rita Russo, Director of Education for the Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB. “What we’re seeing is a redistribution of resources based on changing student needs across our schools.”
The conflicting narratives have left parents like Martha Jennings confused and concerned. Her son Tyler, a Grade 4 student with autism, has thrived with EA support. “Tyler’s EA knows exactly how to redirect him when he gets overwhelmed,” Jennings explains during a community meeting at Cobourg’s Victoria Hall. “I can’t imagine what school would look like for him without that support.”
According to Ministry of Education guidelines, special education funding flows through the Special Purpose Grants mechanism, with allocations based on documented needs within each board. Recent provincial data shows a 4.7% increase in students requiring specialized support across Ontario, adding pressure to already stretched resources.
CUPE representatives argue that the board’s budget, approved in June, doesn’t reflect these growing needs. “When you look at the budget line items, special education support has remained flat while administrative costs have increased,” notes Rowe, referencing the board’s published financial statements.
The dispute highlights a broader tension in Ontario’s education system as boards struggle to balance financial constraints with growing demand for specialized services. The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association reports that 72% of member boards identify special education funding gaps as a “significant or critical concern.”
At Northumberland Hills Public School, EA Diane Williams has seen the impact firsthand. “Ten years ago, I might have supported two students throughout my day. Now it’s often four or five, sometimes more,” she says. Williams worries that further stretching these resources will harm the most vulnerable students.
The board maintains that the notices represent normal staffing adjustments that happen annually. “Student needs change year to year, and some schools may see reductions while others see increases,” explains Michael Andrews, Superintendent of Special Education. “Our overall complement of EAs actually increases slightly for the coming school year.”
This explanation hasn’t satisfied the union. “If there’s no reduction, why are displacement notices going out?” questions Rowe. “And why won’t the board provide us with the detailed allocation plan for the fall?”
Parents have mobilized quickly, forming the “Support Our Students” coalition and collecting over 600 signatures on a petition demanding transparency from the board. The petition, circulating online and at local businesses, calls for a public disclosure of EA allocations by school.
Local MPP David Piccini has stepped into the fray, arranging a meeting between board officials and parent representatives for next week. “Special education support isn’t a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure for an inclusive education system,” Piccini stated in a press release from his constituency office.
The dispute occurs against the backdrop of Ontario’s broader education funding framework, which has seen restructuring under the current Progressive Conservative government. The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario reports that special education funding has not kept pace with inflation over the past four years.
Recent data from People for Education, an independent education advocacy organization, indicates that 67% of elementary schools report insufficient support for students with special education needs. Their annual survey of Ontario schools found that principals increasingly rely on creative scheduling and resource sharing to meet student needs.
For now, the situation remains unresolved. The board has promised a detailed staffing announcement in early August, while CUPE has filed a formal grievance alleging violations of their collective agreement regarding notice periods for staff displacement.
As September approaches, parents like Jennings remain caught in the middle. “All the administrative back-and-forth doesn’t help my son,” she says. “We just need to know there will be enough support in place when school starts.”
For the students who rely on these supports, the adults in the room will need to find common ground—and quickly—before the school bells ring again.
