Could a co-pay model save the IB and RISE programs?

Windsor-Essex parents are proposing a co-pay model to keep the International Baccalaureate (IB) program running in the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB), but the board’s chair says it’s not feasible.

At a Nov. 26 town hall for IB families, Michael Yazbeck was among the parents who suggested a co-pay system, where parents and the school board would share costs to sustain the IB program.

Under the proposal, parents would pay up to $3,800 to enrol their child in the IB program. The co-pay would cover part of the program’s expenses, with the rest coming from the school board, grants, and fundraising.

"Many of the other IB programs in Ontario offer a co-pay model. So, we were lucky enough to be able to use them as an example to build ours," said Yazbeck, whose son is in Grade 9 at Riverside Secondary School.

Riverside is one of two GECDSB high schools offering the IB program, the other being Leamington District Secondary School.

Several Ontario school boards already use a co-pay model for their IB programs, requiring students to pay fees to offset costs.

For example, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) charges $3,300 for its IB Diploma Program, broken down as $550 in Grades 9 and 10, and $1,100 in each of Grades 11 and 12.

Similarly, the Halton District School Board collects fees for Grades 11 and 12 but charges nothing for Grades 9 and 10.

These fees typically cover costs such as teacher training, annual dues, program coordination, and participation in IB examinations.

Gale Hatfield, chair of GECDSB’s board of trustees, said a co-pay model would conflict with the board’s commitment to equitable access to public education.

"We have been faced with some difficult decisions required by the Ministry, and parents wanting to continue the IB program into the future should take their concerns to the Provincial Government for funding," Hatfield said.

Yazbeck said his co-pay model considers families who may struggle to pay the IB fees.

"We can do what other boards do across Ontario," said Yazbeck, referencing a proposal to allocate 10 per cent of tuition fees to a subsidy fund. "If they're deemed a low-income family, they would have their tuition paid for."

The TDSB, for example, provides subsidies for IB students whose household income is below $50,000.

Efforts to save the IB program, an internationally recognized academic curriculum designed to prepare students for university and global opportunities, have so far been unsuccessful.

Current IB students in Grades 11 and 12 will complete their certification, but students in Grades 9 and 10 and future cohorts will lose access to the program.

The RISE (Reaching Individual Success and Excellence) program faces a similar fate.

RISE is a partially integrated special education program within the GECDSB, tailored to meet the individual strengths and needs of each student.

Advocate Joanna Conrad said a co-pay model wouldn’t work for RISE.

"Oftentimes, parents simply don't have the means. When it comes to anything with a spec-ed or 'adaptive' label, the price goes up. Just like with funerals, weddings, or babies, it's the same for special education," Conrad said. "Factor in all of the expenses families with a child who has special needs are already paying for — supports and resources."

Another challenge is a lack of visible support for RISE. While the IB program has numerous families advocating for its continuation, Conrad said RISE has far fewer vocal supporters.

"If we don't fight for these kids, who will? I would expect that other parents feel just as passionate and want the best, not only for their own children, but for every single child to get the of an education," Conrad said. "But we're out of ideas in terms of how to get more support, especially on a public level."

Conrad hopes a rally outside the GECDSB offices next Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. will bring attention to the program’s elimination.

Meanwhile, multiple IB families told CTV News their efforts to meet with GECDSB trustees about the IB program’s cancellation have gone unanswered.

On Nov. 5, GECDSB trustees voted to eliminate the RISE and IB programs to address a $6.4 million deficit, aiming to comply with provincial requirements for a balanced budget. This decision resulted in the loss of over 60 jobs.

Aishwarya Rabichandran, who also has a son in Grade 9 at Riverside Secondary, said the provincial government needs to send more dollars to the school-board level.

“The government is funding many businesses with grants which is very good, because it gives good job opportunities. It raises our society to another level. So that same investment should also be there in the kids’ education, which is the actual foundation and the future of our society, our province, and our country,” said Rabichandran.