Blake Ellis/The Independent

Lambton Kent District School Board’s Associate Director Brian McKay says as of the end of February, the board has spend $1 million more than planned for supply teachers.

McKay presented a financial update to trustees at its April 14 meeting. Expenditures during the second quarter, a period between Dec. 1 and Feb. 28, and $2.2 million was spent for supply teachers. This is compared to the $1.6 million spent in the first quarter of the school year.

“This item represents the main deficit pressure that the board is experiencing,” said McKay.

Supply teachers were budgeted at $2,751,337 in the 2025-26 budget, but the amount spent by Feb. 28 is $3,751,518.

In comparison, the school board was $620,496 overspent with supply teachers at the same time last year.

Over all, the school board has spent $179 million or 56 percent of its budget by the end of the second quarter.

The school board has a total budget of $407 million. Lambton Kent District School Board is still expecting to break even the end of the year.

Meantime, in the French Catholic school board in the region, there are plans to lay off up to 50 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

CUPE says the education assistants, social workers, IT staff and custodians are being cut at the end of the school year to reduce a $3.3 million deficit caused, the union says. by provincial underfunding.