Seventeen full-time social workers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, are facing significant changes to their roles due to a new five-year funding agreement that reallocates resources from social work positions to fine arts and music programs. The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE) had previously funded these positions with $1.5 million through a supplementary education fund. Following the announcement, the social workers received redundancy notices, leading to stress and uncertainty about their future roles. Peter Day, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), highlighted the profound impact this uncertainty will have on the workers and the vulnerable students they serve. HRCE has stated that the social workers have been offered similar positions, likely as school counsellors, but details about the permanence of these roles remain unclear. The new funding agreement will see Halifax allocate $12.6 million for the supplementary fund in the 2026-27 school year, a decrease from $13.5 million in the previous year, with further reductions planned. Critics, including Coun. Tony Mancini and NDP education critic Paul Wozney, have raised concerns about the implications of these cuts, emphasizing that the province should take responsibility for funding these essential services.