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2021-22 Staff Allocation

Staff allocation is an annual process undertaken by the TDSB to identify where school-based staff should be allocated across the system for the upcoming school year. Planning for a system as large as the TDSB is complex and comprehensive, and this year’s process is further complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

Every year, staff allocation is guided by a number of factors including student enrolment, collective agreements, class sizes caps and averages, and the TDSB’s commitment to equity, student achievement and well-being. In addition, this year, school boards received direction from the Ministry of Education to proceed with their normal teacher and support staff allocation processes. The Ministry also advised that funding that came to the TDSB for the 2020-21 school year to address COVID-19 related costs (such as additional staff to lower class sizes in high-risk neighbourhoods as identified by Toronto Public Health and additional staff that provided for greater physical distancing requirements) should not be incorporated into these staffing allocation plans at this time. Additional Ministry direction and funding plans are expected in the coming weeks and will be dependent on the status of the pandemic.

To ensure we are prepared for next year, the TDSB must begin this important process but will make adjustments as needed, if and when new direction is given by the Ministry. We continue to follow Ministry and Toronto Public Health direction, and will evolve and adapt as necessary over the coming months and in anticipation of the start of a new school year.

While COVID-19 funding has not been factored in to the current allocation, the effects of COVID-19 on projected student enrolment are included. These effects include a decline in the numbers of Junior and Senior Kindergarten students and newcomer students across all grades. As a result of this enrolment decline, the 2021-22 staff allocation report includes a proposed reduction to classroom, ESL and Special Education teacher allocations, as well as administrative and support staff allocations. It is important to note that while the actual deployment of Special Education classroom supports may change based on student enrolment and needs, the overall supports in Special Education will remain constant.

Please see the TDSB’s 2021-22 Staff Allocation report.