YRDSB cutting nearly 250 education worker jobs for fall
York Region schools are laying off education assistants, secretaries, IT staff, and librarians. Union says the cuts were expanded at the last minute.
The York Region District School Board is eliminating nearly 250 education worker positions ahead of the upcoming school year, according to CUPE 1734, the union representing those staff.
The union was initially told 171 workers would be laid off. Then, late in negotiations, the board expanded the cuts significantly. The final tally: 201 education assistant positions, 36 secretarial and administrative roles, six IT positions, and six library technician spots.
The timing is crushing for families and schools. Education assistants work directly with students, particularly those with special needs. Their absence will be felt immediately when classes resume. Administrative and IT staff keep schools running — without them, principals are stretched thinner, technical issues go unresolved, and schools lose capacity to respond to students' needs.
CUPE 1734 has been fighting for clarity on exactly which positions will be cut and whether displaced workers will be offered roles elsewhere in the board. The union described the situation as still unclear, with the board slow to provide specifics.
York Region families should expect disruption. If your child receives support from an education assistant or your school relies on administrative staff, these cuts will affect your school's capacity to help.