Nova Scotia's largest school board plans to cut 152 classroom teaching positions.
Members of the Halifax Regional School Board announced at a meeting held last night that they approved staffing reductions, starting in September.
They say the cuts are in response to the province reducing the board's budget for the next school year by 0.9 per cent, or roughly $3.2 million, and so it can better cover inflationary costs such as utilities, fuel and salaries.
"Board members and staff tried to minimize the direct impact on schools, but it is unavoidable when you take almost $20 million out of system over two years," said board chair Irvine Carvery in a statement released Wednesday night.
Twenty-one support positions will also be cut, which includes resource teachers, coaches and junior high support teachers, along with 11 central office positions.
Six library support specialists will be cut, as well as 8.5 custodial positions.
"These decisions were very challenging for the board because we know the impact will be felt by students and their parents," said board chair Irvine Carvery in a statement released Wednesday night. "I believe we have taken a balanced approach and while you may see a reduction in a number of areas we were able to avoid the elimination of entire programs and services."
Irvine says most of the reductions will take effect July 31, to coincide with the end of the school year, and will result in $7.6-million in savings for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
While the cuts will mostly affect staff, the board says reductions will also be made in non-staff budget areas, such as professional development.
The Opposition, however, is slamming the provincial government over its own cuts to the public education system.
"The Dexter government's decisions have taken $65-million out of the public education system," says Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil. "They have left students in the HRM short by about $10.2 million dollars – slashing that much money from public education will mean bigger class sizes and fewer resources to support our students."
Education Minister Ramona Jennex says the job cuts in the Halifax area are a response to a lopsided student-teacher ratio.
According to Jennex, schools in the Halifax area have seen a 44.2 per cent decline in enrolment over the last three years, but MacNeil says the staff cuts are about more than declining enrolment.
"Only 25 of the…teacher cuts are the result of declining enrolment – the rest are simply because the Dexter government is attacking public education," says McNeil. "The premier is trying to balance the books on the backs of children in Nova Scotia and it must stop."
Tory Leader Jamie Baillie says class sizes will likely go up as a result of the cuts, but Jennex says she believes schools boards have done a good job of ensuring that cuts are not affecting the quality of classroom instruction.
She also says all of the cuts are being done through attrition.
With files from The Canadian Press
