Over 320 TDSB elementary schools to lose at least 1 in-person teacher in reorganization

Over 320 Toronto District School Board elementary schools will be losing at least one in-person teacher as the board reorganizes their staff two weeks into the school year.

In a letter sent home to parents, the TDSB says most of the teachers will be moved to virtual school due to the significant number of students, 66,000, who have chosen online learning.

The reorganization will see 12 schools gain one or two teachers, 161 schools lose one teacher, 97 schools will lose up to 2 teachers and 57 schools will lose between two and four teachers. Another nine schools will lose more than four teachers.

Parents whose students are affected by the reorganization will be informed directly from their school. The letter said the majority of schools will not experience significant changes.

The TDSB says these reorganization are typical in a school year and happen within two weeks to meet class size limits, but were delayed due to the year beginning on Sept. 15. The reorganizations will be completed by Oct. 13.

The board added any changes to class size will not exceed their original limits which are 24 students for kindergarten classes, 20 students per Grade 1 to 3 classes and 27 students for a Grade 4 to 8 class.

Schools in communities that are at a higher risk for COVID-19 have a limit of 15 students per kindergarten class and 30 students between Grade 1 to 8 classes.

There are have been a total of 611 cases of COVID-19 in 347 of Ontario’s more than 4,800 schools, the government said on its website for tracking school and child care cases. Of the cases, 141 were reported more than 14 days ago.

One school, Mason Road Junior Public School, was closed last week due to a COVID-19 outbreak.