The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) held its second public consultation meeting on Tuesday as it continued collecting feedback on the 2026-27 budget.
The school board sought input on what they should prioritize when deciding how to spend its Ministry of Education funding.
Gemma Grey-Hall, a member of the board’s Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Committee, urged trustees to protect supports tied to equity and special education while addressing a substantial deficit.
“As you deliberate about what to reduce or eliminate, I urge this board not to cut programs that directly support black students, racialized learners, and children with special needs. Doing so would only undermine years of hard-fought progress,” Grey-Hall said.
She warned there could be consequences beyond the budget if equity supports are rolled back.
“What risks, financial, legal, and reputational, is the board prepared to absorb by approving a budget that ignores the realities of a dispersed community?” said Grey-Hall.
“Would the elimination of these programs expose the board of trustees to increased grievances, human rights complaints, or costly litigation?“
Another member of the Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Committee, Kaitlyn Ellsworth, said equity commitments must be backed up with real funding.
“Equity without investment is performative,” Ellsworth said.
“You cannot claim to prioritize student achievement and well-being, which is the ministry and board’s stated focus, while failing to materially invest in the students who continue to experience some of the deepest inequities within this system.”
The board’s Finance and Facility Services Standing Committee is set to meet again on June 9.
The final board meeting of the school year will be on June 16.