Trustee Report, December 14, 2012

1. Education Minister visit – The Hon. Thomas Lukaszuk will be visiting our school division as part of a regional tour. A tentative date has been set for January 26. More details to follow.

2. Transportation survey – As a follow-up to the division surveys completed in the spring, the Board has asked for a survey of our bus system. There are 1,800 students in our division who take the school each day. Letters will be sent home soon to inform parents of the brief, paper survey. All parents of students who ride the bus will be surveyed, as well as students in Grades 4 to 12. Data collected will be used by administration only to identify any concerns.

3. Lac Sante – A committee has been formed to further investigate a request from the County of Two Hills to re-designate municipal/school reserve land in the Lac Sante area in order to develop a public campground.  Each time a subdivision is built, municipalities must set aside land for items such as schools and recreation areas. The school division does not own the land, but has a vested stake in the property. Trustees Rudkowsky, Pedersen, Miller will be serving on the committee.

4. Rural AB Development Fund – Trustee Rudkowsky reported on the provincial grant that has provided funding to other rural school divisions for items such as a mobile trades unit. The funding for the program ends on March 31, 2012, but the organizers hope to receive further funding from the Province. Trustees will research its proposal at its January information meeting.

5. Remembrance Day - Admin Procedure 206 – the division is looking at ways to allow flexibility for our community groups to participate in the school ceremonies, especially in communities where there is more than one school – administration is considering changing the policy to allow ceremonies to take place at different times of the day - not just at 11:00 a.m. - on the school day(s) preceding Remembrance Day.

6. Calendar Committee - the first meeting will take place on January 16. Drafts will be available for the Board, staff and other stakeholders to review prior to the Board making its final decision.

7. Alberta School Councils Association AGM - April 20 – the Board will continue sponsoring three parents to attend the conference - hotel and registration. Further details coming soon.

8. Policy review – Policy 18 Community Engagement and AP 110 School Councils were reviewed, with comments from our school councils. The Policy Committee will be meeting in January to make recommendations to the Board on changes to policies reviewed since September (Policies 8,9,3,5,2,6, 18, AP 110). Up for review at the January 11 Board meeting are Policy 10 Policy Making and Policy 11 Board Delegation of Authority.

9. Superintendent's report:

• assessment plans in schools – Assistant Superintendent Dalane Imeson visited all schools - overall word is "excellent” - goal is to improve teaching and learning - principals are true educational leaders – the key emphasis on communications and how we treat each other.
• M.E. LaZerte presented on Dec. 5 - speaker from the assessment consortium – schools continue to develop assessment plans based on goals of division.
• AISI cycle is ending - fitting into overall plan direction - new plan focuses on assessment - not getting rid of what we are doing, but continuing to enhance - meeting in January to develop new AISI plan.
• Children's fair Nov. 15 and 16 - 58 families attended the fair - health and education partners had various screening tests for pre-school children- very successful - children have excellent opportunity for early supports before entering school system.
• Succession planning – identified characteristics of a good vice principal and good principal - 20-25 people identified – First meeting planned for January. Those chosen will hear from those who have already gone through the succession program.
• High School Flexibility Program – being piloted in a few divisions across the province - more student-directed - flex days - students free to receive help wherever they need it (similar to the SST (Student Support Team) time we already have built into many of our schools.
• Wi-Fi letter sent out to parents - lifting some security so that students and staff can access wi-fi similar to how accessed in a hotel or at home - need to ensure anti-virus software is up to date.
• New professional practice competencies being developed (provincially) for school leaders - three-year process.

10. Capital projects:

• site meeting at Two Hills Mennonite - received approval for four modular classrooms (to arrive tentatively in January) - discussion on demolition - possible option to keep the newer one-story potion vs. demolishing and adding more modulars - budgeted money to demolish now - however school will be full by the time the new school is built - said no to a two-storey structure because it costs more money - introductory home-ec and woods in the new building
• Racette - general contractor chosen - Binder Construction Ltd. – recently completed Vilna modernization - first meeting on Dec. 16
• Elk Point - construction expected to begin around Easter break - design is being completed

11. Strategic Planning /Community Engagement Meeting - letter of invite being developed and an invitee list - tentative dates April 18 or 19, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. The division will develop a video that paints an accurate picture of our school system today. Will be presented to participants at the community engagement meeting, as well as at other public relations opportunities.

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12. Financial update - Due to a number of factors including unforeseen increased federal revenue from tuition agreements and severe disabilities funding, additional funding announcements from the province, and a slightly better than expected student enrollment count, the overall division financial picture has improved somewhat from the projected deficit in the spring of 2011.  After taking into account a number of recently approved staffing and program additions, capital expenses, and additional school-based budget allocations the Division is now projecting a deficit of about $600,000.