What U of T student protesters are calling for

Plus, parents frustrated with split grades and a cop who stole from dead people [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on schools struggling with resources, the encampment at U of T and the Toronto cop found guilty of stealing from dead people. DON’T MISS Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star education [A Toronto school is combining three grades in one class — and parents are “very frustrated”]( The Kensington Community school is planning for one teacher next year to oversee a class with students in grades 4, 5 and 6, Isabel Teotonio reports, and parents are concerned learning will suffer. “It’s simple math: You’ll have one teacher and three curriculums and six hours,” said Sepideh Shahi, co-chair of the school’s parent council. “There is no way that you can go to the depth and breadth of those three curriculums in those six hours.” [Here’s what else parents had to say at a protest on Wednesday](. - By the numbers: The provincial government recently announced it will increase education funding to school boards for the coming year by $745 million, with total funds at $29 billion, the highest investment in Ontario’s history. - Go deeper: An analysis by the Ontario Public School Board’s association notes that when adjusted for inflation, [per-pupil funding is at the “lowest level” in over a decade](. Nick Lachance/The Star protests [Students are calling for U of T to divest from Israel — here’s a closer look at what that would mean]( The University of Toronto is in a standoff with hundreds of its students, Ben Cohen reports. Protestors sleeping in tents on campus say they won’t leave until the school restructures its finances and academic relationships to sanction Israel. Like other student activists across the country and in the U.S., they’re calling on the school to publicize all its investments, end any investments that support the Israeli military or illegal settlements in the West Bank and cut ties with some Israeli universities. But the university says it’s unable — and unwilling — to do so. [Here’s a closer look at what the process would entail](. - More: The university encampment has drawn those outraged by Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as well as people seeking to debate, deride or sometimes delegitimize the pro-Palestinian movement. [Take a look at what’s going on at U of T](. - Shellene Drakes-Tull’s take: [I am bewildered when people talk of peace but only want convenience](. Steve Russell/The Star courts [After a testimony “completely unworthy of belief,” a Toronto cop was found guilty of a laundry list of charges]( A veteran Toronto police officer has been found guilty of stealing a luxury watch and credit cards from people whose deaths he was assigned to investigate, possessing and driving a stolen car, and misusing police databases, Emily Fagan reports. In total, a judge found Const. Boris Borissov guilty of all 15 charges against him, noting that his testimony was “riddled with lies.” [Take a closer look at the disgraced cop’s long list of charges](. - More: Borissov has been suspended with pay from the Toronto Police Service since his arrest. A disciplinary hearing is on hold pending the outcome of his trial. - Watch for: The officer remains on bail pending his sentencing hearing, now under the condition that he surrender any passports he has and not leave the province. - Meanwhile: At a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday, embattled Toronto police Supt. [Stacy Clarke said she’s “deeply sorry” for her role in a promotions scandal and wants to explain her actions](. WHAT ELSE Another NDP MPP was ejected from the legislature for wearing a kaffiyeh in defiance of the ban. [Here’s what she had to say](. [MPs will probe antisemitism at Canadian universities]( amid heightened political tensions over campus protests. The three-month-old boy who died in the 401 crash was [remembered at a funeral as “a light that could brighten up the darkest of the days.”]( Umar Zameer is “overwhelmed” by the support he has received as [his GoFundMe for legal fees surpasses $300,000](. A security firm with clients in Drake’s Bridle Path neighbourhood says [“cameras would be everywhere.”]( The victim of Tuesday’s fatal Oakwood Village shooting has been identified. [Here’s what we know](. We still don’t know what caused the 2022 Toronto ferry crash. [This former captain first sounded the alarm about the fleet in 2016](. Want an ice cream shop near your house? [City staff are floating new rules for small businesses in residential zones](. A Toronto concert offers jazz great John Coltrane’s music in a rare format: [arranged for a symphony orchestra](. [A daily dose of olive oil may significantly reduce your risk of dementia-related death]( a new study has found. POV Canadian Press File Photo [Oil industry barons profit while the rest of us pay for their sins.]( CLOSE-UP R.J. Johnston/The Star DAVISVILLE: An arts organization wants to renovate the Regent Theatre on 551 Mount Pleasant Rd. into a modern theatre and arts centre while preserving certain elements. [Here’s why the plans are riling nearby residents](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_213484). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited digital and ePaper access Newsletter exclusive offer: Now only $49.99 for 1 year [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](