Opening schools safely could cost billions
CUPE, Liberal party release reports outlining what a return will require
If the Ontario government wants to safely reopen schools during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it will need to spend as much as $3.2 billion to hire more teachers and custodians, as well as purchase enough cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment, two new reports say.
On Monday, the Ontario Liberal Party will officially release its COVID plan — costed by former education ministry officials — that estimates a multibillion-dollar need for 17,000 more teachers, 14,000 new rooms to accommodate smaller elementary classes and 10,000 additional caretakers.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents 55,000 school support staff, provided its own calculations to the Star for this fall that peg spending at about $1.49 per student per day — or almost $590 million — to fund touch-free hand sanitizers in every classroom, sanitizer refills, PPE, Plexiglas for school offices and libraries, as well as to open up unused rooms in schools to accommodate smaller classes, bring in extra education assistants and hire one new custodian in each of the province’s 4,800 schools. (Teacher costs were not included in the union calculations.)
Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce have said the province will release its direction to school boards this week, after asking them to prepare for three scenarios — in-class only, online only or a mix of the two — but preferring a full-time return if possible. Laura Walton, who heads CUPE’s school bargaining unit, said the amount the union recommends is a 2.1 per cent increase in education spending for the upcoming school year, and says it is the minimum needed. It is based on lessons learned from CUPE workers in other sectors who have continued working during the pandemic, she added.
“We know that we can do this safely, but the government doesn’t seem to be paying attention to it,” she told the Star.
While the government “has talked about touch-free hand sanitizers, that money hasn’t come in — during H1N1, there was money set aside for that. I was just at Starbucks ... and
Starbucks has Plexiglas for goodness sake. Why wouldn’t we have that?” she added.
“We can’t afford to get this wrong.”
Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said “students and their parents have been waiting for far too long to hear what will happen in September. Living with this uncertainty has caused unnecessary anxiety ... Getting our students back to school safely is what kids critically need ... and it’s the only way their moms and dads can have peace of mind to return to work.”
And, he added, “since the government hasn’t unveiled a plan for the fall, I did.”
As far as the Ford government’s plans go, some boards have balked at a hybrid model, saying that could hurt parents’ ability to work or return to their jobs, and have urged the province to come up with creative solutions, such as extra classroom space in unused buildings to accommodate smaller classes, outdoor learning, or even tinker with the length of the school day.
Ford has said the situation remains “very fluid. It’s been moving and we have to adapt with the changes ... We have to be prepared, if we ever get a second wave, to have a plan.”
Lecce said after the province decides which model to go with, boards have until Aug. 4 to submit their plans, which will be reviewed by medical experts before getting the go-ahead.
The government has already pledged $25 million for improved technology and mental health supports for students to deal with COVID, along with $4 million for enhanced school cleaning, and Lecce has said this week’s announcement “will include additional supports and resources to enable our boards to succeed.”
He has also noted there is renewal funding that could be used to create hand-sanitizing centres, ensure washroom sinks work, or improve building ventilation if needed.
The Toronto District School Board — which represents onetenth of any provincial funding announcement — has said if all elementary students return full-time in classes of 15, school could end 48 minutes earlier than usual to accommodate teacher prep time, and it would need 1,000 extra teachers.
But if kids attended full-time with classes capped at15 for primary students and 20 for Grades 4 to 8, some 200 additional teachers would be needed at a cost of $20 million. The Toronto board also says it needs $1.5 million for PPE, $4.5 million for supplies and caretaking, among other COVID costs.
Interim director Carlene Jackson has said the board has a large supply teacher roster, and with a number of new teacher graduates seeking work, hiring so many additional educators within the next month is doable.
The Liberal plan outlines funding for the 2020-21 school year that includes:
$1.3 billion for15,000 elementary teachers to reduce class sizes to 15 and $170 million for secondary teachers.
$200 million for 14,000 “new classrooms in community centres, campuses, arenas, etc.”
$500 million for 10,000 caretakers and $120 million for cleaning supplies/equipment.
$80 million for busing, including cleaning and retrofitting.
$110 million for PPE equipment for students/staff (face shields/masks/gloves).
The CUPE plan is based on the average size of the province’s elementary and secondary schools; it also recommends extra special education staff and health professionals and monies to support and communicate with parents.
“We know that we can do this safely, but the government doesn’t seem to be paying attention to it.”
LAURA WALTON CUPE SCHOOL BARGAINING UNIT