Trustee Report - April 10, 2013

Two Hills Mennonite School sod turning – all government events were postponed after the recent passing of Ralph Klein, including the school sod turning for April 3. The school sod turning will be rescheduled for a future date.

Transportation Committee – met with school bus contractors to discuss local bussing issues and rates – the Board approved modest rate increases and agreed to cover the cost of the fuel subsidy grant, that the Province eliminated April 1, until June 2013. The Board also increased the inclement weather payout from two to three days and agreed to cover the costs incurred during driver evaluations. The Board is also writing a letter to the Education Minister asking for the fuel subsidy grant to be reinstated with the trigger rate being moved up to 85 cents/litre from the previous 65 cents.

Children’s Fair – the Board agreed to cover the cost of lunch for the local service providers and one newspaper ad for the upcoming annual Children’s Fair which provides information and referrals for parents of preschool children.

Registration fees – the Board approved a number of increases to school registrations fees. Many of the fees go to cover the cost of extra school activities such as swimming lessons and skating.

Policy review – Trustees reviewed and discussed policies regarding the recruitment of staff and student transportation.

Capital Plan – the Board approved its annual plan which lists its future school construction/renovation projects in order of priority: 1. Ashmont schools (modernization or new schools) 2. Two Hills Mennonite School (space constraints in new building) 3. New Myrnam (modernization) 4. Heinsburg (modernization).

Locally Developed Courses – the Board approved a number of courses for Regional H.S. and SPAEC that were developed by other school boards. They include a number of English as Second Language (ESL) courses as well as Forensics, Rock and Pop music, Yoga and Outdoor Education.

Superintendent’s Report:

Racette – the Board approved the Grade 6-8 students to be finished school a day earlier in June in order for staff to prepare for the move and for Portage to begin their construction plans. Grade 6-8 students will be done on Wednesday, June 26. Grade 9 students will still write their exams on June 27.

Heinsburg – the Board approved a request for staff to switch PD days in order to attend a school day at the Amiskwaciy Academy (an Edmonton school with a First Nations focus). Monday, April 29 will be a regular school day for students and Friday, April 19 will be the new PD day for Heinsburg students only.

School Administrators met for their monthly meeting on April 9. Discussed budget and staffing in preparation for 2013/2014. Also discussed bullying across the division to coincide with the new Education Act – taking an inventory of school-related policies and resources to adapt a division-wide approach on treating one another with respect and kindness (bullying prevention).

The Instructional Assistants PD day will take on Staff Appreciation Day next year instead of during Teachers Convention.

The Division is looking into purchasing an automated call-out system as another tool in contacting parents/guardians during snow days, etc. It can be adapted for individual buses or schools. Can also include multiple phone numbers, texts and email addresses. There is a message received feature, but schools would also ensure that contact is made if no contact made through the system. The annual contract cost is $11,000.

Admin Procedure 422 – Staff PD Opportunities – as already required by the Superintendent and Trustees, all division staff will require approval for professional development travel outside the province.

New Board Policy – Trustees will be circulating copies of a new division policy for the naming of schools and other division-owned facilities/spaces for feedback by School Councils and division staff.

Financial Report – Trustees have set May 28 for a special Budget meeting – early indicators show that the division will need to do some trimming for the 2013/2014 school year.

Capital Report:

• FG Miller – construction of gym to be completed by the fall
• Racette – Trustees will tour the renovation progress on April 24
• Two Hills Mennonite – the province has an ambitious completion date of fall, 2015. Students in the modulars are scheduled to be moved into the new school by next spring in order to accommodate the attachment of the modulars.

Bylaw 1-13 – Trustees passed three readings of a new bylaw pertaining to the disclosure of election contributions and expenses. A candidate will have to disclose any campaign contributions from outside sources exceeding $100. Candidates will not have to disclose costs if their personal contributions are under $5,000.

Trustee Report - March 13, 2013

Two Hills Mennonite School sod turning - April 3 at 1:30 p.m. - trustees discussed the agenda, list of invitees, protocols for the event.

Grad tokens - Board has been purchasing USB drives for the past couple of years - motion approved to continue with the USB drives as a gift for each SPERD graduate.

2013 School Board Elections - trustees considered a number of bylaws required leading up to October elections - elections will take place at the same time as municipal elections on October 21 and the term has been changed from three years to four years. For more information on becoming a trustee, visit the Alberta School Boards Association website at www.asba.ab.ca

Policy review and amendments – trustees reviewed policies 14 and 15 regarding hearings on teacher transfers and school closures – the policy committee also brought forward a number of amendments from previous policy reviews.

Superintendent's report:

Edwin Parr awards for first year teachers - nominations due April 5. Information will be brought forward to next admin council on March 20.

Mallaig School tour in February - great evidence of how a school is striving towards division goals. Next school tour tentatively planned for April.

Principals will be setting their priorities during budget discussions at the next admin council meeting.

Racette update - school construction completion date has been pushed back into April. Recommendation from school admin and superintendent that staff and students will move back to Racette home in August, 2013. Board approved recommendation.

Transportation committee – a number of challenges for administering in-town bussing  - extra admin fee of $15 for bus pass change - winter service bussing no longer applies (passes will be for the entire year) - if a child requires a seat on another bus, an extra fee will apply – information on changes will be handed to out to those who use the service. Board approved committee recommendations.

Fuel Price Contingency funding - as of April 1, the provincial funding will be eliminated - grant was used to offset the rising cost of fuel - means a loss of approximately $30,000 per month for our bus contractors.

Financial report:

March student count - second count assists with grant funding – 4085 students at Sept. 30 - March 1 count at 3984 - loss of 101 students. Affects English as Second Language grants and class size ECS (Kindergarten) grant.

March 7 provincial budget - province's fiscal year ends March 31. Some changes affect our current school year such as Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) grant and the fuel price contingency funding being eliminated April 1. Province made budget projections for each school division, but our numbers differ. (ie. Province suggested increase in enrolment, but our enrolment numbers have remained quite consistent over the past few years). – As a result of the provincial budget, our division will be down approx. $1 million in revenue vs. the province's projection of $249,000. We will need to reduce on the expense side, but it is too soon to determine exactly how it will impact the division. Other items, such as the elimination of the Community Spirit Grant and changes to Alberta Distance Learning will also have an impact on the division’s bottom line.

Capital projects:

THMS - contractor has started moving snow - April 2 pile driving - April 3 sod turning

Racette – construction completion moved back to April

FG Miller - gym likely won't be available to students until the fall

Workloads for teachers discussion at ASBA zone 2/3 meeting - total work time includes instructional time, assignable time as well as the marking, report cards, extracurricular activities, etc. - quite a bit of difference among teachers - even with assigned time - some boards have more teacher prep time than others.

Advocacy meeting with MLAs for zone 2/3 on March 21 - discussing capital needs, inclusive education, small schools, socio-economic issues, transportation and wrap-around services.

Rural Alberta education conference - three trustees attended in Canmore - attended sessions regarding Alberta student mentorship program, distance learning, entrepreneurship programs on iPads, driving simulation programs for logging industry, digitalization of student records and forms, rural school closures, communications consultants, partnering with U of Athabasca to develop android apps catered to the school division, green certificate program.

Utilization Report – trustees received their annual report on how space is being utilized in each of the division schools. The report is based on a provincial formula and a school is considered “full” at 85% capacity. Glen Avon is at 85%, but Two Hills Mennonite Schools sits at 140%. The division average is 63%. 

Trustee Report - February 13, 2013

Two Hills Mennonite sod turning – Sod turning event date set for April 3 1:30 pm on site.  Local and provincial dignitaries will present.

School Calendar – After a review process by school councils and administrators the 2013/14 calendar was approved and passed by the Board of Trustees.  Spring break will be left as presented in calendar draft 1 – it is following policy.  May 12 PD will move to May 16.

Promotion of 2013 School Board Elections – Information regarding upcoming trustee elections to be held on October 21, 2013 will be posted on division website, social media and advertised in local newspapers. There are two free sessions sponsored by the ASBA for individuals interested in school trusteeship. More information can be found at www.asba.ab.ca

Saddle Lake Arbor Funding Request – The division is very much in favour of the Saddle Lake Arbor project however we are unable to support financially.

Locally Developed Courses – The Board of Trustees approved the acquisition and use of Workplace Essentials skills 25-35 and Reading 15-25 as locally developed courses to be implemented in the 2013-2014 school year subject to any required approvals by Alberta Education.

Policy Review 10 & 13- trustees discussed policies 10 (Policy Making) and 13 (Appeals and Hearings Regarding Student Matters). Both policies are currently under review by the policy committee.

Incident Communications – the Board discussed communication protocols during an incident.  All communications are based on two priorities: protection of students and staff. All communication must have consideration given to criminal justice and the School Act as well as respecting and protecting the privacy and well-being of individual(s). This protocol is also reflected in the Fair Notice letter that is sent home every fall.

Alberta School Council Association Annual Conference & AGM – the Board approved and passed a motion to once again sponsor 2 parents from different school councils to attend the annual ASCA conference and AGM to be held in Edmonton on April 26-28.  Sponsorship is limited to conference fee and accommodation costs. Contact your local trustee for more information.

After School Care – An inquiry was made regarding the availability of the division providing after school care for students.  The Board is open to the concept if there were interested community partners but we are currently not in a financial position to operate a program solo at this time.

Bishop Meeting – The Board of Trustees will be meeting with newly installed Bishop Terrio on April 24 2013 for an informal meet and greet.

Superintendent Report :

• Alberta Education visited with Racette staff over lunch and debriefed over the Racette incident. Positive overall.
• School Websites have had some minor issues over the past few weeks and are being worked through. We apologize for any inconveniences.
• A fire occurred at the division’s maintenance shop.  Fire was limited to a small area but there was extensive smoke damage.  Insurance estimates could be 1-2 million dollars.  Thank you to fire responders for their quick and diligent response.
• There was some discussion at the recent administrators meeting regarding timing of Elementary report cards. Decision was made to leave them as is.
• Division Pow Wow to be tentatively held on September 20 2013 (June can be a conflict with exams and weather).
• Communications – all schools will be equipped with phones that plug into fax lines to ensure working phones during power outages.
• March admin meeting changed to March 20^th due to more information being available after the March 7 provincial budget announcement.
• Mallaig school to host the Board of Trustees for a tour and presentation on February 27.
• Threat assessment training to be late Fall.
• March 7 will be the announcement of the Provincial budget. Area school councils may be discussing 2013-14 school fees.  Some scholarships are having issues with regards to returns on investments due to low rates.  The Community Spirit grants have been extremely helpful in keeping them fluid.
• As of February 13^th 9 Racette students are attending school at the Regional High School site and 5 students have relocated to Portage site.

Capital Projects Update- FG Miller progress is going well but slightly behind due to steel orders. The Racette modernization is on schedule with possible completion by end of March with some exterior to be done when weather permits.  THMS received 8 bids with Jen-col Construction being awarded the successful tender.  Shop fire – most of the damage occurred in the warehouse but there is smoke damage to other areas.  Operations are still underway at current site but a construction trailer may be needed during reclamation process.

Trustee Attendance Schedule - 3 trustees will be attending the Rural Education Symposium in Canmore on March 3-5.  On February 27 the Board of Trustees will be attending Mallaig school for a tour/presentation. That same day the Board will meet with MLA Shayne Saskiw by videoconference.

Subdivision Application – The division received notice of an application for subdivision adjacent to the SPECS playground. We are aware that this is part of the East Central Francophone board’s process for selling their land.

Trustee Report - January 2013

School Calendar – a draft calendar for the 2013-2014 school has been created and is being distributed to school councils and school staff for feedback - since professional development speakers have been booked for two days at the end of August, school will not start until after the Labour Day long weekend. There is also a proposal to move spring break later into April.

Infrastructure Maintenance Renewal (IMR) – the Board passed the proposed IMR (school repairs) list. Trustees discussed the $80,000 roof repair at Heinsburg School and asked for further investigation on more temporary measures since enrolment is at a historical low of 97 students for a K-12 school.

Two Hills Mennonite sod turning - tenders closed January 17 - want to choose a date that is closer to the actual turning of the sod - tentatively set for March 22.

Policy Review 11 & 12 – trustees discussed policies regarding board delegation of authority and the role of the superintendent.

Questions raised from St. Paul Elementary School Council:

- School-Based Budgets (SBB) – why were they formed and what is their purpose? – site-based management became popular in the mid-‘90s when school boards regionalized – some boards decentralized every budgetary decision, but SPERD has made a balance by decentralizing everything except staffing and school maintenance decisions -  belief that those who are closest to the action should be making those decisions - each school has different needs, but there are also bulk purchase agreements when required (ie. paper purchases).

- corporate sponsorship – is there a division policy regarding placing corporate names on donated items? – no division policy – would recommend that schools considering advertising corporate sponsorship outside of traditional areas (ie. programs, scoreclocks, etc.) should check with their school council and Central Office

- budget 2011-12 – started the year with a large deficit projected; how did we end up with a surplus? – the budgeting process begins with a lot of unknowns – we revise them as we gather more information  - a $500,000+ deficit (1% of overall budget) was projected and ended up with a $200,000+ surplus – a variation of up to 5% is to be expected – factors such as increased enrolment, fundraising revenue, SBB carryovers and adjustments to federal student tuition contributed to the change – dealing with a large budget ~ $54 million - if have deficit one year, will be making it up with cuts the following year, so we are fortunate to end up in the black.

Superintendent Report:

- principal’s meeting cancelled for month of January

- Grade 12 exams currently taking place

- the Board will be extending an invitation to meet with the new Bishop

- Alberta Ed will be meeting with admin to go over the division’s annual report – on Jan. 24, Alberta Ed staff will be buying Racette School staff lunch and meeting with superintendent re: Racette debriefing

- The Board is planning another school tour for the last Wednesday of February

Racette update - under 20 students remain at the Regional High School - first day back at Racette 2 ran fairly smooth overall - staff and students generally happy to be back - still going through a healing process - Education Minister Jeff Johnson contacted our board chair with good news regarding additional $115,000 for staffing our two Racette sites. The Board is very appreciative of the support received by our provincial government.

Capital projects update – Two Hills Mennonite school tender closes Jan. 17 - Racette and FG Miller on schedule (FG a bit delayed with steel orders)

Learning Networks - professional development consortia for northeastern Alberta – covers Lac La Biche, Bonnyville, St. Paul, Vermilion, Lloydminster, Wainwright – 11 members on the board of directors - 8 school divisions plus Metis and First Nation schools - budget is $1.5 m per year – provides services for 4,000 staff – in the process of searching for a new executive director.

Financial report - received management letter from auditor – Wilde and Company Chartered Accountants.

Labour negotiations – local bargaining has commenced with the local Alberta Teachers’ Association – first meeting set for later this month – the Board’s guiding principles for negotiations are currently on the division website – bargaining is still ongoing with CEP support staff and bus drivers in the County of Two Hills area.

Trustee Report - December 2012

• Bishop Installation: the Board of Trustees welcomes Bishop Paul Terrio to the Diocese of St. Paul.  The ordination and installation of Bishop Terrio took place on December 12 in St. Paul.
• Policy Review: the Board of Trustees reviewed two policies as per schedule.  Policies 18 and 19 (Community Engagement and School Councils) were reviewed by the Board and have been referred to the Policy Committee.
• Tripartite: tripartite talks for a new provincial teacher collective agreement collapsed between the ATA, ASBA, and the Provincial government.  Local bargaining will commence in the new year.
• Facebook: administration received positive feedback surrounding the piloting of Facebook.  All schools except for Two Hills Mennonite, the Hutterite schools and Racette School are currently on Facebook.
• HPV vaccination: the Board of Trustees made a motion to allow the offering of HPV vaccine in the division’s Catholic schools (Mallaig, Racette, and SPECS) after new data became available. HPV vaccine is only available with parent/guardian consent.
• Hutterite Colony: a new school, that may be required by the recently established colony in the Mallaig area, will be constructed in the Northern Lights school division.
• Year End Audit & Budget update: 2011-12 ended with a very modest $208,928 surplus on nearly $54 million in expenses.  The original 2012-2013 budget forecast saw a deficit of $419,771, but has since been improved to a deficit of $127,963.
• Additional SBB allocation: the Board approved one-time additional funds to school-based budgets. The Board is asking that schools involve their school councils in the discussions surrounding the allocation of these additional resources. 
• Racette Incident update: after thoroughly consulting with the Racette community and advice from trauma and mental health experts, Racette 2 reopened for staff and students who wished to return on January 7, 2013.  A second Racette campus will remain at the Regional High School for those that prefer to remain until the move back to the modernized school.  Both sites will be staffed.  The Board of Trustees has requested additional support from the Minister of Education.
• Goodfish update: a meeting was held with the transportation directors from Aspen View, SPERD, and Goodfish to discuss transportation issues.  The meeting went well and the data collected will be shared back with the larger committee group in the New Year.
• Capital Projects update:

1. Two Hills Mennonite: due to a discrepancy in tender documents the THMS has been retendered and the new close date is January 17, 2013.
2. Racette: projected date of completion still for Spring 2013.
3. Elk Point: progression as scheduled.

• ASBA & ACSTA conference: the Board of Trustees attended the annual Fall General meeting for ASBA and ACSTA from November 16-20.  Several resolutions were passed by Alberta trustees.

Trustee Report - November 13, 2012

1. Accident debriefing – we continue to monitor levels of support and debrief the incident at Racette on Oct. 25. We are extremely grateful to emergency services, Racette staff, volunteers and the outpouring of support from communities near and far. The division is still providing support as needed – trauma response worker is coming in once a week, regular counseling support is in place. We continue to review the protocol followed that day and will make changes, if necessary. In the next 2-4 week period, we will be having a meeting with all Racette students, parents and staff to determine if and when the Racette family is ready to move back to the temporary Racette 2. As for speeding up the modernization of Racette’s home school, the government says they aren't hopeful due to shortage of materials and delayed material orders, as well as scheduling for subtrades. The division is currently checking to see the earliest we could move students into the school, even if the project isn't entirely complete.  

2. FSLW municipal support - Family School Liaison Workers in our schools provide a wide variety of services, including individual and group counseling, crisis management, case consultation and initiating referrals to other agencies. The workers are closely involved with families and provide ongoing support to students regarding personal and social skills development. After taking over the FSLW program from local municipalities and enhancing it, our costs to maintain the program in each of our schools increases each year. We are thankful to the support from our local municipalities who offset a portion of the budget by making contributions to the program each year.

3. Policy review - Trustees reviewed Policies 2 and 6 in regards to role of the board and role of the vice chair.

4. Expense disclosure – New provincial legislation requires the government to post all travel and hosting expense details online for ministers, deputies and assistant deputies.  What will this look like for school boards? Our public audited financial statements presently detail the salaries and expenses of trustees, superintendent and secretary-treasurer. The division already follows a strict personal expense reimbursement code with many checks and balances. The new guidelines mostly seek to facilitate transparency and access to information. Administration will be reviewing best practices and will bring forward recommendations to commence in the 2013-14 school year.

5. Bishop ordination & Board meeting change - The Board will be attending the Episcopal Ordination of the Most Reverend Paul Terrio, the new Bishop for St. Paul, on Dec. 12 at 2:00 p.m. Therefore, December’s Board of Trustees meeting has been changed to take place on Tuesday, December 11 at 12:30 p.m.

6. Superintendents Report:

- bus survey - master copy available for trustees to view - transportation department is reviewing and will give individual bus drivers copies of their anonymous survey results within the next month - final report thereafter

- school logic - creating some snags, but staff are working through the software changes

- records management - storage should be made according to provincial standards - will start destroying student records documents beyond 30 years - policy says 20 years - all other items will be destroyed according to policy

- tell them from me student survey – students in Grade 4 – 12 will be taking part in a division-wide provincial survey

- Facebook online - pilot schools - Mallaig, Myrnam, Regional High School, Two Hills School and Ashmont Secondary - even though people can make comments, there will be people monitoring the sites 24/7 - feedback on the amount of time monitoring and any negative comments

- career fairs in January - staff attending

- healthy school grant -  received $50,000 for wellness fund - schools applied for specific programming needs, but there will also be some funding available for all schools to enhance breakfast programs

7. Financial report – St. Paul Education’s audited financial reports were given an extension to December. In the new Education Act, schools boards will be mandated to have an audit committee with outside members (ie. community rep and post-secondary rep). Across the province, there are requests for 300 modular classrooms, but only have budget for 45. More joint construction projects taking place, combining schools with community facilities (ie. libraries, community centres, etc.),

8. Capital projects:

- FG Miller - progression as scheduled

- TH Mennonite - still hasn't gone to tender due to further drawing changes - should go to tender this week - anticipating spring start - Sept. 2014 completion date - drawings delayed due to differences in elevation and the water level

- Racette - inquiry to speed up renovation - word so far says they aren't hopeful due to material orders and scheduling for subtrades as well - checking to see the earliest we could move students into the school, even if the project isn't entirely complete.

9. Goodfish Lake update – all local, provincial and federal parties were invited to a facilitated discussion on October 18 to begin a process of addressing the transportation issues in the area. Although the federal partners did not attend, the meeting was considered a good first step in finding a resolution to both transportation and other educational issues. 

Trustee Report – October 10, 2012

Annual Education Results – Over the past five years, data from provincial achievement tests (PATs), diploma exams (DIPs) and satisfaction surveys shows us that our division has been on a constant level of improvement. Highlights include a 15% overall increase in student achievement at the PAT level; 2012 is the first year that our Grade 12 students surpassed the provincial average for diplomas; and, high school completion is up 7%. The Communications Committee will be working on further promotion of these great results from our students and staff.

Goodfish Lake busing – a meeting has been set for October 18 with federal and provincial government representatives, as well as St. Paul Education, Aspen View School Division and the Whitefish (Goodfish) Lake council to discuss the transportation issues in the area.

Enrolment – At the September 30th deadline for enrolment, the division is down 25 students in budget projections. This shortfall results in $250,000 less for the division budget.

Policy Review – Trustees reviewed policies pertaining to the role of the trustee and trustee code of ethics.

Two Hills Outreach – the Two Hills Mennonite Liaison Committee will be working with Central Office staff to examine other possible options for an outreach program, if the need warrants it.

Superintendent Report:

• bus survey – there has been a delay in compiling the bus survey results due to staff transition; however, a report on the survey from last spring will be made at the November or December Board meeting.
• Facebook – Administrators and the school staff designate for entering Facebook information will meet on October 19. From there, a couple of schools will pilot the use of school sites for one-way communication only, followed by all schools going online thereafter. The Board will pursue a one-month campaign on the reason for using Facebook as another tool to inform our stakeholders.
• Mr. Brodziak also reported on items pertaining to student records storage challenges, an update on a new digital citizenship program, an update on the School Logic system, and schools balancing the number of personal items in classrooms with custodial time.

Financial Report – the Board approved a $240,000 budget increase to replace the accounting/payroll system for Central Office. The existing provider surprised the division with an insurmountable monthly service charge.

Capital Projects – Racette and F.G. Miller modernizations are on schedule – Two Hills Mennonite School tenders were delayed to next week due to some drawing changes.

Zone 2/3 – the Edwin Parr award criteria is being re-examined for the first time since the award was created in 1962; – Elk Island Public school division has GPS units on all of its buses as well as scanner cards for students, so that parents can check to ensure their students are on the bus.

Meeting with the Minister – Education Minister Jeff Johnson met with our regional boards on October 9 – the Education Act will be re-introduced in the fall session – this Minister is stressing “equity and accessibility” for all students across the province – the Minister is also exploring a new funding formula for capital projects.

Organizational Meeting – The Board held its organizational meeting prior to the October Board meeting. Trustee Maureen Miller remains as Chair and Trustee Heather Starosielski remains as Vice Chair.