The president of the Avon Maitland Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says provincial cuts are directly affecting staffing levels.
Kent Cleland says 34 elementary teachers are being cut through Huron and Perth county schools.
"We have 37 schools. 27 schools are losing a teacher. We have had, in the past, 23 teachers who worked to support students with special needs in the classrooms and those 23 people were returned to classrooms, and because those 23 people were returned to classrooms we have 23 fewer spots," stated Cleland.
He added the teachers losing their jobs don't have many options.
"It's happening everywhere, as you noted. It's even happening in the big GTA boards and those boards are generally the big hiring boards and if they have to tell people they don't have a job, there isn't a whole lot of places for people to turn to."
Cleland also said the Avon Maitland Board's funding is being cut by $2.6 million.