TDSB to cut 218 central staff positions, eliminate 91 vacant roles

The Toronto District School Board says it will cut 218 central staff positions and eliminate another 91 vacant roles as it looks to “modernize” and “right-size” the administration.

The layoffs come as Canada’s largest school board remains under the direction of the province.

In a statement, the TDSB says the cuts are part of its “broader efforts to protect classroom learning, support student achievement and restore long-term financial sustainability”.

It says the changes will not impact classroom staff.

Premier Doug Ford’s government has placed the TDSB and seven other boards under provincial supervision and introduced legislation last month to sharply curtail the role of trustees in bargaining and budgets.

The government says the changes are intended to improve board governance, but critics have called it a concerning centralization of power.

The Canadian Press