There are concerns that vulnerable students in Halifax will be left in the lurch after regional council decided to phase out funding for school library support staff and to also transition permanent social worker roles into term positions.
Councillors recently voted to ratify a new five-year supplementary education funding agreement this week, with the funds prioritizing music and fine arts in schools.
But the loss of funding for other areas means nearly 100 school librarians and 18 social workers are facing an uncertain future.
Shelley McNeil, the president of CUPE 5047, which represents the librarians, says this decision leaves a lot up in the air.
“Our schools right now are not in a position to be cutting support people. If anything, extra support should be added to our schools with the way things are happening right now.”
Meanwhile, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), which represents the social workers, says members are scared.
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“They’re concerned, they are frustrated, and quite frankly, they were scared, because there was a level of uncertainty that now exists with their job that did not exist prior to this,” NSTU president Peter Day said.
Council voted 9-4 to ratify the new agreement.
Dartmouth-area councillor Sam Austin voted against the motion, raising concerns about what it means for education in the municipality.
“Ultimately, these are really important resources to have in schools and I worry that the HRM backing off funding will ultimately mean worse outcomes in the classrooms,” he said.
Mayor Andy Fillmore voted in favour of ratifying the agreement and says in a statement that the goal is to create a more “sustainable approach to supplementary education funding.”
“HRM is the only municipality in Nova Scotia that provides supplementary education funding beyond mandatory provincial contributions,” he wrote.
“I believe it’s important to be clear what services the provincial government is responsible to fund, and which services the municipal government is responsible to fund.”
Austin is hopeful the provincial government will pick up the funding but isn’t overly optimistic.
“If no one in government blinks, then the real losers on this are going to be the most vulnerable kids in our community,” he said.
Department of Education spokesperson, Krista Higdon, says the province is pleased the municipality and HRCE have arrived at a new agreement for funding.
“As you know, this supplementary funding is in addition to the more than $1.4 billion in provincial public education funding, and funding through the mandatory municipal contribution toward public education,” she said in a statement.
“It is no secret that many governments are currently grappling with financial pressures, including HRM. I feel Council chose a mindful path that gives HRCE, CSAP (Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial) and schools time to adapt to incremental change in some services, while prioritizing enhanced music and fine arts programs.”
Higdon goes on to say the province has had “early conversations” with HRCE and understands they are exploring how to transition the affected services into the general budget.
“As always, we are working closely with HRCE, CSAP and other Regions as they consider how to be more efficient and forward-thinking to realize the best outcomes for Nova Scotia’s students,” she added.
A spokesperson with the Halifax Regional Centre for Education says there have been a number of positions reduced and that some roles will not be filled due to attrition.
“It would be premature to speculate on staffing impacts several years in advance,” spokesperson Lindsey Bunin wrote in an email.
“Our focus is on ensuring students continue to receive the supports they need while working collaboratively with our partners through the transition period.”
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