Sharon Park is disappointed by the funding cut. (CBC)

Seventeen schools in western Newfoundland have lost funding for their Communities in Schools program.

The cutbacks mean breakfast and after-school programs, as well as tutoring, could be in jeopardy.

The federal government's Job Creation Partnership (JCP) had provided funds to employ staff to run the support programs.

The Stephenville-based organization that hired the employees found out about the job losses only days before school year began.

"Little bit disappointed in the communication that we received, we were notified by an email," said Sharon Park, executive director of the Community Education Network.

"We have in fact been a JCP sponsor for 10 years. We would have hoped to have had some consultation, I guess, before just receiving news of not receiving funding."

The 17 co-ordinators worked in schools in Corner Brook, Port aux Basques, Burgeo, Port au Port, Bay St. George and Stephenville.

They were paid through federal Employment Insurance funding.

Joan Burke, the provincial minister for advanced education, was responsible for administering the EI funds to the Communities in Schools program.

Burke thinks the schools should be able to handle the cuts.

"I am sure the school board and the schools have a strong base of volunteers and probably will develop programs similar to other schools across Newfoundland and Labrador," she said. "Because the majority of schools would not have had this paid position."

Park doesn't believe the buck should be passed on to schools.

"Education is everybody's responsibility," she said. "We want to make sure that the education system is supported by the community, and that those resources come into the schools and students don't really have to go out looking for them."