Saskatoon boy with complex needs can only go to school for half days due to staff shortages
School division says it lacks funding to cover 'significant increase' in students with complex needs
A Saskatoon boy who has Down syndrome and autism is being sent home from school at noon every day because of a lack of educational assistants (EAs).
Hugo Stevenson, 10, is attending Buena Vista School and needs one-on-one support throughout the day with the help of an EA, his mother Kath Stevenson explained, but that support is now limited to mornings only.
"We got a phone call from the principal that he regretfully had to inform us that they were struggling to access resources and that Hugo would be on half days until further notice," Stevenson, told CBC News in an interview Wednesday.
"We were very disappointed."
Saskatoon Public Schools says the half days are a temporary move until a comprehensive plan can be put in place. It says it lacks funding to cover the "significant increase" this year in students with complex medical and safety needs.
Stevenson said it was already a slow start for Hugo when he began attending school at Buena Vista last year, but he was getting well into the groove. She said the team at the school has been great at quickly providing care as the resources became available.
"But telling him that, buddy, it's til only lunchtime now, is kind of hard," she said.
"It's unsafe for children who need that intensive support to not have it … I respect their need to juggle all the needs of all the kids."
The disappointment, Stevenson said, stems from the fact that despite teachers striking last year to bring attention to classroom size and complexity, funding to address those issues has yet to increase.
"For us, it is a very practical and pragmatic reality that so long as there's no increase in funding to school divisions in terms of meeting those needs, the impact is felt by families like ours."
Stevenson said there are more kids like Hugo who are also affected. To get a student in after school programs, she said, comes at a personal cost of thousands of dollars and struggle. She is thankful for her flexible work routine that she can be at home when Hugo is sent home from school.
Stevenson said the division is working on resolving this issue hoping to get a solution by next week.
In an email statement, Saskatoon Public Schools said it is seeing a significant increase in students with complex medical and safety needs.
"During these first few days back, school teams are working hard to assess the needs of both current students and those new to our schools," it said.
"There are certain cases where we have had to alter a student's school day until a comprehensive plan can be put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. During this time, we will provide supplemental learning materials to support home-based learning."
The division said while they did receive additional funding this year, it does not adequately cover the rising demand for student support.
"As we go into this arbitration session, there shouldn't be a situation where divisions are scrambling like this," she said.