198 new staff positions created for upcoming school year on P.E.I.

The P.E.I. government has hired 39 new front-line staff for the upcoming school year and has "conditionally approved" filling about 160 other full-time equivalent positions, it said in an emailed statement.

The operating budget that passed in the recent legislative session allocated $2 million for the additional resources, which includes 24 new teachers and 15 educational assistants.

The budget also included an $8 million contingency fund for the Department of Education, part of which will be used for additional staffing, the statement said.

It said as a first step in preparing for the return to school this fall, government has conditionally approved $2 million through the contingency fund for the following additional positions:

• 49 full-time equivalent teachers.
• 6full-time equivalent bus drivers.
• 1.2 full-time equivalent counselling consultants.
• 62full-time equivalent cleaners.
• 10.57 full-time equivalent education assistants/youth service workers.
• 31 full-time equivalent administrative support.

"This means that, as of today, there will be 198 positions introduced into the school system for the 2020-2021 school year," the statement said.

The province said 175 of the positions will be in the English school system and 23 in the French system.

"Staffing of these positions is taking place. We have many permanent part-time staff who will be offered temporary contracts to top up their current hours. All positions will be hired as temporary contracts and casual/ substitutes will be called upon on an as-needed basis," the statement said.

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