The English-language public school board serving Windsor-Essex has finalized its spending plan for the next academic year.
During a special session Tuesday afternoon, trustees with the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) signed off on the budget for the 2024-25 school year.
The spending plan includes an operating budget of $532-million. The capital budget is $56.5-million.
The budget will carry over a deficit of less than $6.4-million, agreed upon by trustees last week during deliberations, and avoid immediate job cuts. The difference will be covered by a portion of the board's surplus.
The board must submit a budget reduction plan, which was also discussed Tuesday. It included further discussion of last year's budget recommendations, along with reviews of transportation, non-salaried expenses, and French immersion.
Delegates at the meeting included Mario Spagnoulo, president of the Greater Essex ETFO, who stated that funding issues, particularly those concerning special education, must be handled by those above the local level.
"Let our provincial elected officials be held accountable for the slashing of essential services to students in need," said Spagnoulo. "Let our government MPPs, Mr. [Andrew] Dowie, Mr. [Anthony] Leardi, and Mr. [Trevor] Jones, respond to parents whose children are on waiting lists."
Board Chairperson Gayle Hatfield added that the struggle has been the same regardless of the party forming Ontario's government.
"I'm all for pushing this government to adequately fund education in the province of Ontario," said Hatfield. "We've pushed back, we've advocated every single year that we've passed a budget, and not once have I seen any of those political parties or any of those governments step up to the plate just because we're pushing back."
The board also considered cutting 20 full-time jobs in special education and support services for at-risk children, or the elimination of 65 positions to save $4.5-million. Trustees ultimately went with the option of keeping jobs intact.
The budget is subject to approval by the Ontario Ministry of Education.
-with files from Adelle Loiselle
