EICS Reports Temporary Layoffs
Elk Island Catholic Schools
Submitted
As a result of the recent provincial funding cuts to education, Elk Island Catholic Schools (EICS) is saddened to announce that there will be a number of temporary layoffs which will impact staff for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school calendar year. EICS received an approximate 13% cut to the base educational grant and a 51% cut to the transportation monthly rate. The expected total reduction to the divisional budget is $1,304,000.
Breakdown of the 13% reduction over the next three months: Reduction Base Instruction $896,000 170 Support staff temporary lay-offs Transportation $408,000 (42 transportation temporary lay-offs).
Since the announced cuts to education at the end of March, the EICS Board of Trustees and Senior Administration made the decision to redirect $400,000 from both central administration and school budgets in selected the areas of professional development, transportation and substitute coverage to extend the employment of the support staff for the month of May.
The redirection of funds from these budget areas is a temporary action. This decision was made in order to best educationally support the students and staff until the end of this school year. The budget lines impacted will need to be restored in the 2020-21 budget.
EICS Transportation bus drivers received layoff notice on April 1st for layoff on April 14, 2020. “These are very difficult decisions for our Board and administration to make at a time when our students and staff are facing so many other challenges,” expressed EICS Board Chair Ted Paszek. “Each of our EICS staff is vital to the success of our students and we face these decisions with a very heavy heart. We pray that all our colleagues will be back with us once our schools reopen so as we can continue to ensure an exceptional faith-based educational journey for our students within EICS.”