The New Westminster school district is upping its efforts to hire educational assistants – and to make sure they can do the job they’re paid to do.
The district’s 2022/23 budget, presented at the school board’s operations committee meeting May 10, calls for more money to be spent on inclusive education supports in the new year.
Robert Weston, SD40’s executive director of human resources, said this year’s budget calls for a further five educational assistants (EAs) this year, on top of increases that have been made for the past few years – bringing the district’s total EAs to close to 200.
The budget also earmarks $150,000 for contingency EAs that can be brought on as needed throughout the school year, when new students requiring support arrive in the district. And it adds $60,000 to top up available funding that allows EAs at least one hour of extra time per week when they can attend support meetings with teachers and parents outside of school hours.
Another key component of the budget is an extra $72,000 set aside for student supervision – something Weston noted was brought up in the district’s budget discussions with staff.
“We heard very clearly from stakeholders that supervision of students, particularly during the noon hour, was of significant concern to them,” he said. “We were having to draw upon our educational assistants to provide that supervision, and that of course takes away the unique nature the services they provide to our special students.”
The budgeted money will increase noon-hour supervision at all schools in the district to take the pressure off EAs and allow them to focus on their support work, Weston said.
The 2022/23 budget also provides for more replacement staffing for EAs so students requiring EA support aren’t left without help if an EA is absent.
The district has budgeted $500,000 in replacement costs for EAs and teachers: 25 teachers on call, including 10 priority positions; and 22 EAs, with 10 priority positions. Priority teachers and EAs essentially become full-time staffers for the district and are deployed wherever they’re needed.
