SAULT STE. MARIE – On Friday, SooToday published an article highlighting the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board’s (HSCDSB) hiring of a new speech pathologist to support kindergarten students at St. Basil Catholic Elementary School. While this new hire will undoubtedly provide valuable support to students, the article failed to acknowledge a much larger, more troubling issue: the Board’s decision to eliminate 70 Educational Assistant (EA) positions as of June 2025.
“These EA positions were not optional – they were essential,” said Crystal Krauter, President of CUPE Local 4148, which represents education workers across the HSCDSB. “Their removal will have devastating consequences for students who rely on one-on-one support, including vital medical and learning assistance.”
The 70 EA positions previously existed thanks to federal funding provided through Jordan’s Principle – a program designed to ensure First Nations children receive the care they need without delay caused by jurisdictional disputes. However, recent discretionary funding cuts by the Federal Liberals have led to substantial job losses. So far, the Ontario government has not stepped in to fill the funding gap, leaving hundreds of students and education workers in limbo.
Joe Tigani, President of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), said this is a dangerous situation that the provincial government must address immediately: “This is exactly the kind of situation Jordan’s Principle was designed to prevent – where children, particularly Indigenous and First Nations children, are caught in the crossfire of bureaucratic disputes between levels of government,” Tigani said. “Now, we are seeing the heartbreaking real-world consequences of that failure.”
While the hiring of a speech pathologist is a step in the right direction, CUPE 4148 stresses that it does not come close to replacing the broad, daily one-on-one support that Educational Assistants provide.
“With 70 fewer EAs in our schools, existing staff will be stretched past the breaking point,” said Krauter. “Students with complex needs – including those requiring medical monitoring, behavioural support, or daily assistance with learning – will no longer have the access they need to thrive. And that burden will now fall on an already understaffed workforce.”
This crisis is not unique to the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board. Across Ontario, school boards are grappling with unclear provincial funding commitments as the 2025–2026 school year approaches. Without immediate action from the Ford government to bridge this funding gap, students and staff alike will bear the consequences.
“We urge the provincial government to act quickly,” said Tigani. “We are calling for the restoration of these 70 EA positions. The students they support deserve consistent, quality support in the classroom.”
The OSBCU represents over 57,000 frontline education workers across the province, including educational assistants, custodians, early childhood educators, administrative staff, and more.
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For more information, contact:
Shannon Carranco
CUPE Communications
[email protected]
514-703-8358
kl/cope491
