A potential 65 jobs within the Greater Essex County District School Board could be at risk depending on how trustees pass the 2024-25 budget.
During the board meeting on Tuesday, trustees were given a presentation on the preliminary budget, which showed a projected $6.4-million deficit.
Trustees were presented with three options to balance the budget. Option 1 would be to report the full $6.4-million, or a two per cent deficit, drawing funding from accumulated surplus, and the board would be considered "medium-high risk".
Option 2 would be to file a budget with a one per cent deficit, reporting a $4.5-million deficit, requiring some funds from the accumulated surplus to be used for 2025. This would still keep the board at "medium-high risk". This would require the elimination of 20 Full-Time Equivalent positions.
Lastly, Option 3 would be to file the budget as balanced, which would require $6.4-million in expense reductions. The accumulated surplus would remain balanced and untouched. However, this would require the same elimination of 20 FTE positions like in Option 2, as well as the need to eliminate approximately 45 additional unfunded FTE positions.
Vicki Houston, Director of Education with the GECDSB, says if they choose Option 1 or 2, funds will needs to come from other avenues to pay the deficit.
"The difficult piece is that we would need to be using our accumulated surplus to cover any of the deficit, and we would project that within two to three years we would have no accumulated surplus left, which of course you always want to have that money because you need it for unanticipated expenditures, which sometimes can be very costly."
She says the board's largest expense is staff, so now they need to look at those positions.
"When we went through and did what we received from the Ministry [of Education] funding compared to what we actually have, we do have several unfunded positions within the organization. So those were the ones that we looked at for consideration for those to be eliminated - and it isn't all of them."
She says by picking Option 1 or 2, the board would be considered "medium-high risk".
"We are obligated to provide additional reporting to the Ministry outside of the regular reporting timelines. We do have to have meetings with Ministry staff about what our plans are, how we're progressing towards those plans in terms of eliminating the deficit."
The board is still facing numerous key challenges for balancing the budget, including the need for funding for special education, transportation, and challenges with adjusting salary and benefits for employees following the repeal of Bill 124 in February.
Trustees have asked for this to come back during a special board meeting to make a decision on which option to approve, but a firm date has yet to be set.
The draft budget needs final approval by June 18.
