Date: October 3, 2026
Reporter: Emilly Jordan
Parents at The Grove Community School in Toronto’s west end are raising concerns about a recent staffing reorganization by the Toronto District School Board that has resulted in students in Grades 4, 5 and 6 being taught together in a single classroom.
The alternative school recently lost one of its five teachers following the TDSB’s staffing reorganization. Parents say the change has created a combined class of 27 students between the ages of eight and 11, with students across three different grades now learning in the same classroom. They say the class also includes children with different educational and behavioural needs, including four Indigenous students.
Adam Marchese, whose son attends the school, told CityNews that his child previously attended a much smaller class of between eight and 11 students, where he could receive more individual attention when he needed assistance, particularly with mathematics.
Marchese said he was concerned about how one teacher could manage the educational requirements of 27 students following different curricula.
Grade 6 student Axel Singh also described difficulties getting help with schoolwork. He told CityNews that while working on a math problem, he needed assistance but could not get help because many other students were also seeking the teacher’s attention.
Parents are also questioning why staffing was reduced at the school despite what they say is a waiting list of families seeking admission.
Archer Pechawis, one of the parents, raised concerns about the impact of the changes on the school’s Indigenous students. He pointed to the school’s Indigenous student population and referenced the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, arguing that the staffing decision was inconsistent with the spirit of those commitments.
Another parent, Diane Simon, said a class of 27 students spanning three grades creates significant demands for the teacher. She also criticized what she described as inadequate resources available to educators.
Parkdale–High Park MPP Alexa Gilmour also expressed concern about the situation, saying students were communicating what they needed to succeed and criticizing the level of resources available to them.
The TDSB, however, has said it will not reconsider the staffing decision.
In a letter to parents obtained by CityNews, a superintendent said the board understood that some families had asked for the changes to be reconsidered but said it was unable to do so. The superintendent cited the size of the TDSB, which operates 474 elementary schools, and said making exceptions at individual schools could have wider staffing consequences and require employees to be moved from schools where they are needed.
The school board also defended the staffing arrangement, emphasizing that The Grove Community School is a small alternative school with 85 students in total.
According to the TDSB, 27 students are enrolled across Grades 4, 5 and 6. The board said that because of the relatively small number of students across those grades, it cannot assign a full-time teacher to each individual grade. Under separate classes, one of the grades would have only six students, according to the board.
The disagreement reflects a broader issue faced by schools with relatively small enrolments, where staffing decisions can require boards to balance class sizes, available teachers and the needs of individual students.
For parents at The Grove, however, the immediate concern is how the combined classroom will affect students throughout the school year. They argue that children at different grade levels require different curricula and may need varying levels of academic and behavioural support.
The parents say they intend to continue pressing the TDSB to reverse the decision and address their concerns about staffing and classroom conditions.
The board has maintained that the current arrangement reflects the number of students enrolled in the three grades and the staffing resources available across the wider school system.