Confusion, outrage fuels school walkout to save international baccalaureate public board program

Parents and students say the public school board's decision to cut a specialized diploma program in order to balance its budget is unacceptable — and they're fighting to reverse the decision. 

Approximately 200 students demonstrated their disappointment with a school walkout Thursday morning at Riverside Secondary School.

The Greater Essex County District School Board of trustees voted to cut the international baccalaureate (IB) program and IB primary years program — among a long list of cuts — at a meeting on Nov. 5 in order to fix a $6.4-million deficit.

"What the public board is telling us is that we're not worth the investment," Grade 9 student Tasbeeh Alshami explained, adding that she was in tears when she found out the program was cut.

"I'm the happiest, and we're all the happiest, when we're academically challenged, and we were given that opportunity and it's being stripped away from us in a blink of an eye."

Fellow Grade 9 student Mgiizi Wright wants the board to consider "Kids before cuts."

He said that even though the board is dealing with financial challenges, "it doesn't mean that you guys should be taking that out on the kids."

Grade 9 student Caitlin McCourt described feeling "confusion and outrage" at the decision. 

"The IB program is what I've planned my whole future on. It helps me grow in my work. It challenges me ethically and emotionally," she said. "It's shaping my whole future."

The program is intended to prepare students for university.

With the loss of the enriched program, like many other impacted students, next year, she will need to relocate from her Riverside Secondary School to a feeder school closer to home or move to a school under the Catholic board, which still offers IB. 

"We have worked so long and so hard to achieve what we've got now, and now they're taking it away from us unfairly and unjustly," McCourt added.

Starting all over again at a new school

For Wright, the idea of having to relocate to the Catholic Board to complete his IB studies would be especially painful as an Indigenous student, given the role Catholicism played with residential schools and the erasure of Indigenous languages.

"This is why I chose to stay in the Greater Essex County District School Board," he said.

The relocation aspect also struck a nerve with fellow Riverside student Sofia Faccenda.

"It was insane to me that I had already just gone to a new school and I made all new friends and met a bunch of new people and relationships and stuff. And then I have to go and like basically start all over again," Faccenda explained.

Faccenda's mother Francine Salinitri is a member of the parent council at the school and also acts as an IB parent representative, with an older Grade 11 child in the IB program as well.

Since the news of the cuts, more than 40 families have met to discuss next steps, Salinitri explained. A petition is also circulating, with more than 500 signatures as of Thursday morning, as parents plan to reach out to trustees to urge them to reconsider and lobby the ministry to intervene. 

"It's disappointing on so many levels that a program would be cut for children," Salinitri said. "When you're thinking about budget, I just can't imagine that there can't be another way or different options that could be cut if there is difficulty with funds that don't affect our kids."

She pointed out that it's not just the IB programs impacted, but the RISE special needs program as well. 

"The main message here is that there's something wrong," she said. 

"There's something wrong when a board has to cut programs that impact the children and not look at other avenues to cut costs. And so we need help."

Students to stage a walkout

The students have also organized a walkout Thursday morning at Riverside to demonstrate their disappointment and call for change.

McCourt said she's hopeful the program will be saved, but that the school board has broken students' trust.

"You've broken your promise and this will never be forgotten," she said.

Director of Education Vicki Houston told CBC in a statement that the board will continue to provide high-quality education moving forward. 

"We understand that parents and students may have questions, and we want to reassure them that additional communication will be sent directly to those impacted by this decision in the coming days, providing further guidance and support as they consider their future educational choices," the statement read.

As a result of the IB program cuts, 3.8 full-time equivalent positions are being eliminated.

The changes will come into effect beginning with 2025-2026 school year, but Grade 11 students currently enrolled in IB will not be impacted.