Ottawa’s public-school board is cutting dozens of non-teaching positions in the fall as it deals with a budget shortfall and focuses spending on students. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) says 69 unionized positions will be cut as of Aug. 31, 2026. The staffing adjustments are focused on “centrally managed staff to reduce central overhead” and will not impact classrooms, according to the board. The job cuts come as the OCDSB conducts the Student-Focused Resource Optimization Project, which is evaluating the board’s resources and structures to “gauge their impact on student achievement and well-being.” “Through this process, we will streamline board administration to remain firmly student-focused,” OCDSB supervisor Robert Plamondon said in a note to parents in February. “We are not simply balancing the budget; we are building a more sustainable and unified district for our students.” There is no word on which positions will be cut at the OCDSB. The 69 unionized positions being cut are in addition to the 83 teaching positions and two principal and vice-principal positions being cut next school year at the OCDSB due to declining enrolment. The OCDSB is projecting elementary school enrolment to drop by 766 students in September, while secondary school enrolment is expected to decrease by 938 students for the 2026-27 school year. A report for the OCDSB audit committee last month said the OCDSB is expecting to cut 45.79 full-time equivalent teaching positions in elementary schools and 37.50 full-time equivalent teaching positions in secondary schools next school year. “This reduction is expected to be fully absorbed within normal attrition rates resulting from retirements, resignations and leaves,” staff said in the report. The principal and vice-principal positions will be cut from the central board office system allocation. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is projecting an $11.5 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year, the fifth straight year the board will be in the red.
