Holy Spirit temporarily lays off 181 staff amidst education funding “adjustment”

Holy Spirit Superintendent Ken Sampson says the board will see a decrease in funding of just under $1-million.

They were already operated at a planned deficit budget for the 2019/2020 school year, which forced them to utilize much of their reserves to ensure staff did not have to be laid off.

Now, the initial estimates for the 2020/2021 school year show a funding shortfall of approximately $1.6-million with no foreseeable funding increases over the next three years.

“To meet the timelines and estimated funding reductions targeted by Alberta Education, while still adhering to the Collective Agreements that govern employee relations with the majority of our support staff,” explains Sampson. “We had to act quickly to notify impacted staff of their lay-off with 30-days notice, which was on March 31, 2020.”

As a result, temporary layoff notices were issued for all educational assistants, including early learning educational assistants and early learning speech-language assistants. Child and youth care workers, library clerks, library technicians, and receptionists are also being laid off as of April 30.

“Fortunately, Holy Spirit Catholic School Division was able to work with ASEBP to maintain staff pensions, full health benefits, and access to the Employee Family Assistance Program during this temporary layoff period,” says Sampson. “This will ensure that they can maintain the health needs of their families during these stressful times, as well as access federal relief funds through the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit.”

Once in-person classes are able to resume, Education Minister Adriana LaGrange said funding will be restored, however, there is no timeline yet as to when that might happen.

by David Opinko

Holy Spirit temporarily lays off 181 staff amidst education funding “adjustment”

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