Apr 21, 2026 • Last updated 10 hours ago •
A sign at the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence in Windsor is shown on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Photo by Dan Janisse /The
As the local French Catholic school board deals with a $3.3-million deficit, up to 50 education workers could lose their jobs.
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The layoffs at Conseil scolaire catholique (CSC) Providence, which covers an area from Owen Sound to Windsor, are expected to happen by the end of this school year.
“Everybody is worried,” said CUPE 4299 president Anthony Cutrone.
“Our members are an integral part of the school system, not only for the students but for the staff. Without our members, the school doesn’t open and doesn’t function. And we can’t be the solution to funding their deficit problem.”
Cutrone mentioned that last month board officials informed the union about plans for between 40 and 50 layoffs coming in August. The cuts are a “direct result” of the board’s $3.3-million budget shortfall, according to the union.
Director of Education Carolyn Bastien told the Star that CSC Providence has been instructed by the province to eliminate its projected $3.3-million “structural deficit” by the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.
“Like many school boards across Ontario, we are facing significant financial pressures,” Bastien said in an email. “Our priority remains the success and well-being of students. As we await funding allocations for the 2026-2027 school year, trustees and staff are actively engaged in budget discussions while maintaining respectful dialogue with our union partners.”
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Cutrone noted that his union represents around 850 members mostly based in Windsor, where CSC Providence operates 15 schools along with an adult learning centre and administrative office.
The members include educational assistants, child and youth workers, registered early childhood educators, secretarial staff, IT staff, custodial workers, social workers, and other non-teaching staff.
The specifics about which positions will be cut remain uncertain. Cutrone said a meeting with union representatives and board officials is set for April 23.
“But we’re not waiting until April 23,” he said. “We’re putting this out there to parents. We need to act. There’s a shortfall in funding from the Ford government that needs addressing; they have to start properly funding school boards. We can’t be expected to solve this $3.3 million shortfall.”
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Cutrone stated that last year alone, the board cut more than12 full-time positions.
“We are already bare-bones,” he explained. “Overthe past ten years we’ve been tellingthe employerthat work keeps getting added without more time or people. So we’re already stretched thin as it is. Now if they’re goingto start cutting evenmorepositions -up to fifty- that’s crazy. That’s unacceptable.”
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