Parents protesting TCDSB staff cuts at west-end school

Some parents in the Toronto Catholic District School Board are staging a protest outside a west-end Toronto school on Tuesday morning.

The protest is taking place at Saint Pius X Catholic School near Jane Street and Bloor Street.

It comes after the board revealed it would be forced to make cuts to teaching staff in the coming weeks. The parents are arguing that putting more students in classes while the city is dealing with the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is not safe.

Parents at the protest are holding signs that read “class sizes matter” and “leave our kids alone.”

The board says it is struggling to restore a sense of normalcy for students and staff amid the pandemic. Board representatives say it is hard to find the funds necessary to keep some teachers in the classroom.

They say it is not just enrolment issues – but also pandemic restrictions and the rising case numbers in schools.

A virtual town hall meeting between the board and parents was held last night to discuss the challenges being faced one month into the school year.