The local president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario is worried, but not surprised to see another rise in violence being reported in local schools.
Mario Spagnuolo says that an eight per cent increase in violence has been reported for this past year compared to last, which are tracked based on phone calls and workplace injury reports made through each school.
He adds that this rise is due to a lack of available resources for students who need it, and that it will only get worse following recent cuts by the Greater Essex County District School Board.
In early November 2025, the GECDSB trustees approved a number of cuts as a way to balance their budget deficit, including eliminating the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, restructuring supports for students in the Reaching Individual Success and Excellence (RISE) program, reducing positions such as psychologists, among more.
Spagnuolo says while the numbers are scary, they're not surprising.
"We're getting more and more calls, we're hearing it from parents, we're hearing it from teachers, that the needs of the kids are increasing, yet our support staff levels haven't increased, and the resources for kids are just not at the level that they need to be. When I looked at the last 10 years, they've gone four times higher than previously. So, this is no surprise, but we need to do something about it."
He says he can't see things improving any time soon.
"If we're not investing in public education from the provincial government, to the school boards, and the school boards to the frontline's, I can't see how things are going to get better. We know that these needs are there, they're not being addressed, and unfortunately the way that the kids react sometimes is through violent incidents, either physically or verbally."
He says a number of kids are on waiting lists to receive services they need.
"Some families might have covered benefits to see a social worker or psychologist, some families can't. From what I understand the going rate is about $140 per hour to see a social worker, that's a lot of money if you need to see a social worker every week let's say for counselling. And so these families are struggling, and they can't find those services in the school system."
Spagnuolo says the only way things will improve is through continued advocacy on the issue.
He encourages parents and teachers who are affected to contact their local MP's and MPP's, and their local school board trustee to express their concerns.
