Up to 249 staff positions to be cut at York Region District School Board, union says | CBC News

Up to 249 staff positions are expected to be eliminated by the York Region District School Board before classes begin in September. Planned cuts are expected to include more than 201 educational assistants, 36 secretarial and administrative staff, six information technology workers, and six library technicians. CUPE 1734 and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions strongly condemned the layoffs, saying they would affect vulnerable students and harm school communities. The board did not confirm the exact number of jobs affected, but said staffing is driven by declining enrolment. The board stated it made no CUPE staff cuts in 2025-2026 and said 2026-2027 enrolment is projected to be insufficient relative to permanent staff. The board said it will try to place staff through attrition, alternate locations, and filling longer-term leaves.

"Up to 249 staff people are expected to lose their jobs at the York Region District School Board before classes begin in September, according to a union local. CUPE 1734 said the board recently told the local about the planned cuts of education positions, which are expected to include more than 201 educational assistants, 36 secretarial and administrative staff, six information technology workers and six library technicians."

"In a news release Thursday, CUPE 1734 and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) said they "strongly condemn" the planned cuts, saying they layoffs would affect some of the most vulnerable students in the board. "These cuts will have a devastating impact on YRDSB students, families, staff and school communities," the organizations said in the release."

""Instead of respecting long-standing seniority principles and the value of frontline experience, workers who have spent years building relationships, stability, and trust with vulnerable students are being pushed out.""

""Staffing is enrolment-driven and for the 2026-2027 school year, we will not have enough student enrolment relative to the number of permanent staff," the board said. "While there may be a small percentage of staff members who cannot be placed next school year, we are working to place as many staff as possible into positions that are or may become available through attrition, at alternate school locations and filling longer-term leaves.""

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