Toronto’s Catholic board could axe its full-day kindergarten program — even though the government will be introducing it provincewide starting in 2010 — as part of a plan to eliminate a $14-million deficit and finally balance its budget.
Also on the chopping block are literacy programs and supports for children at a time when about two-thirds of its students meet provincial standards on reading and writing tests. It’s also possible some elementary teachers will be laid off.
While a final decision won’t be made until June — after public consultations in May — chair Catherine LeBlanc-Miller said the Toronto Catholic District School Board is facing major budget challenges.
“We are proud (of the full-day kindergarten), and one of the concerns is how many students would we lose in schools where the program has been, where parents expect it to be there?” she said.
