WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg School Division has announced it is temporarily laying off staff in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The division confirmed the news Tuesday morning to CTV.

The number of staff impacted includes 51 bus drivers and 279 other staff, including school crossing guards and infant lab assistants.

The division said all full-time staff, including education assistants, clerks and custodial staff, remain employed. It added 60 education assistants who work extra hours on buses and with the lunch program will remain employed, but not receive the extra hours.

The division, which employs roughly 1,300 education assistants, said it explored every option to find meaningful employment for its staff.

The news comes days after Interlake School Division and Pembina Trails School Division both announced they temporarily laid off staff due to classes being suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic.

The Brandon School Division announced Tuesday that 250 people have been laid off from the division. In a written statement to CTV News, the division said it was unable to sustain meaningful work for support staff.

The division said 156 educational assistants, 49 custodial assistants, 38 bus drivers and two secretarial positions were affected.

 “We value the contribution of our support staff and look forward to resuming our relationships in a post COVID-19 operation," the division said. "We also want to extend a big public thank-you for our staff’s professionalism and understanding as we worked through the layoff process.”

The Hanover School Division also announced it laid-off 318 employees. HSD said the lay-offs are temporary until it is safe to reopen the schools.

The division said 173 educational assistants, 87 bus drivers and 58 custodians were affected.

“With schools empty, most of what EA's, Bus Drivers, and Custodians do for our students is on indefinite hold," the division said. "During this period of suspended classroom learning, there is not enough meaningful work for us to retain more than 15% of the EA's and a limited number of custodians.”