Five teachers at OSS and three teachers at Twin Lakes are among those affected; the education director previously mentioned ‘programs could be impacted’ as a result.
Today, almost 100 teachers within the Simcoe County District School Board received layoff notices, prompting the union representing them to seek clarification from the provincial government.
On April 16, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) – which represents around 1,100 educators in the Simcoe County public system – announced that the SCDSB issued redundancy letters to 99 full‑time and part‑time secondary teachers.
SCDSB trustees were informed last month that staff reductions were anticipated due to declining enrolment numbers within the board.
Among those affected are five teachers from Orillia Secondary School and three from Twin Lakes.
“Our teachers are an incredibly dedicated group of educators who have been feeling the strain of an underfunded system for years,” said Jen Hare, president of OSSTF in Simcoe County, in a news release.
“The important work they are doing to support their students every single day makes it all the more heartbreaking when they are told they are no longer needed. The system needs them. Your kids need them,” she said. “This government has chosen not to provide the necessary funding.”
Generally, school boards across Ontario receive yearly funding from the Ministry of Education for operating their schools. The amount allocated is decided each spring and is linked to enrolment figures, with boards getting a set amount per student enrolled.
If enrolment declines, so does the financial support provided by the ministry for running programs.
According to Hare, teachers who receive layoff notices can opt to be placed on a spare list and may be called back if enrolment projections change, funding adjusts or other educators leave their positions.
SCDSB trustees were first publicly informed about likely enrolment reductions during a business and facilities meeting on March 4 while discussing budget estimates for 2026/27.
The board reported having 56,936 students this year but anticipates a drop next year to 56,358 – a one percent decrease overall. Trustees raised concerns during that meeting regarding potential impacts and were told further details would follow when presenting the 2026/27 budget in May.
“Programs could be impacted,” stated education director Dawn Stephens at that time. “The number of staff will be impacted based on projected enrolment.”
Until now, secondary student enrolment had been steadily increasing each year within the board; however, between 2018 and 2026 secondary school numbers rose by over seven percent according to union estimates.
This year’s growth was initially expected to continue; however, elementary panel figures only increased by 215 students while there was a decrease of 368 in secondary panel enrolments.
This week Hare confirmed that union representatives have been informed by the board about preparations for accommodating around 1,000 fewer students in their secondary system compared to last year.
“The loss of 99 teachers will have immediate and serious consequences for students across Barrie, Orillia, Bradford, Collingwood and surrounding communities,” said Hare. She noted that immediate impacts might involve fewer course selection options, overcrowded classrooms and reduced extracurricular activities.
“Cutting teaching positions will further strain schools by placing unsustainable demands on remaining staff and increasing risks related to student behavioral issues across the board,” she added.
Diving into discussions about budget assumptions back in March, long-time trustee Jodi Lloyd remarked on her experience serving as a trustee during periods of decreasing enrollment throughout her tenure.
“It does affect our bottom line and what we can offer. I’m hopeful our decline isn’t continuous because it will impact our budget as well as what we can do,” said Lloyd. “Cuts had to happen; making these decisions is tough. I’m hopeful this is just a temporary situation.”
A representative from Simcoe County’s Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario confirmed that none of their members received layoff notices for fall classes this year.
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A summary of teacher layoffs by high school according to OSSTF
Banting Memorial High School – 7 Barrie North Collegiate – 10 Bradford District High School – 12 Bear Creek Secondary School – 2 Collingwood Collegiate Institute – 9 Eastview Secondary School – 1 Elmvale District High School – 5 Georgian Bay District Secondary School – 8* Innisdale Secondary School – 7* Nantyr Shores Secondary School -12* Maple Ridge Secondary School -8 Nottawasaga Pines Secondary School -6* Orillia Secondary School -5 Right Turn Program -2 Simcoe Shores Secondary School -1 Stayner Collegiate Institute-3 Twin Lakes Secondary School-3 *Two teachers given layoff notices this week are attached to two schools each (one semester at one school and one at another). The teacher appears in both school counts.Source link
