Dana Corkey says she’s paid approximately $15,000 for her neurodivergent son to attend New Heights School and Learning Services – but is worried a mass exodus of staff will put the upcoming school year in limbo. “The school has not as, as an institution, done a very good job of telling us anything,” Corkey said. “I understand hard decisions sometimes have consequences that you don’t like, but I also know that we’re paying a lot of money to know what we’re getting.” Corkey and other families have been asking questions since early May when the school’s principal was suddenly fired. A staff member who is no longer with the school says the principal was escorted off the premises on May 7. Soon after, employees began asking questions about her dismissal. CTV News has since learned of two teachers who say they were also fired, as well as another five teachers who chose not to renew their contracts. Seven support staff will also not be returning to the K-12 school of approximately 120 students. The school advertises itself as “A nurturing environment for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder through education and community support.” CTV News spoke with four former staff members and agreed to protect their identities as they fear career reprisals. “They held a quick meeting to let us know that the principal was fired and that it’s not going to disrupt our day-to-day, which caused a bit of an uproar in the meeting. Staff members asked if there was any plan going forward; there was not,” one former staff member told CTV News. After firing the teachers, administrative support staff and educational assistants began asking questions about why the principal was dismissed and seeking a meeting with the New Heights Learning Services board of directors. Eighteen staff members signed a document and emailed it to the board seeking clarification as to why the dismissal happened when it did. That resulted in some staff members being investigated in what they say was in retaliation. “The dismissal of the principal was the catalyst to a situation where staff were left feeling vulnerable, questioning administrative decisions – and trust in governance was lost,” another former staff member told CTV News. The former principal did not want to be interviewed by CTV News. ‘It was a mess’ Former student Kheo Mori attended the school for five year and graduated in June. He says it was tough to stay focused. “It was a mess,” Mori said. “The school kind of came to a silence.” On May 29, a staff member sent an email to the board asking for help in what the staff members CTV News spoke with described as a “toxic work environment due to handling of the firing and lack of support.” Corkey’s son, Eamon, is entering Grade 12 in September. “It’s definitely disheartening. I feel pretty uncertain going into a year that I should be very confident,” he said. Staff members told CTV News 15 of approximately 40 staff will not be returning. ‘Don’t have a clear answer’ Parents say they are still being left in the dark. “I still don’t really I don’t have a clear answer on how a decision like this gets made,” Corkey said. “I don’t know the principal. I don’t know any of the teachers other than the science teacher and I don’t know any of these other education assistants other than one that’s returning.” CTV News made multiple attempts to reach the school’s executive director as well as the institution, but our requests went unanswered. The doors of the school were locked. New Heights opened in 1999 as a very small preschool and early intervention program. By 2006, it grew to offer classes from kindergarten to adulthood under the province’s Independent Designated Special Education Private School. New Heights’ audited financial statements from 2025 show almost $4.5 million in funding from the province on top of more than $1.5 million in tuition fees. The Ministry of Education and Childcare told CTV News in a statement, “Independent school authorities are responsible for the day-to-day operation of their schools, including staffing and employment decisions, and have autonomy to make operational decisions that best serve their students and school communities. “Questions regarding staffing decisions or operational matters at New Heights Learning Services are best directed to the school’s board.” The school currently has a job posting for a new principal on its website, along with several other positions.
