Board Meeting Highlights – Tuesday, June 29, 2010
School's out for the Summer
Board Approves Balanced Budget for 2010/2011
The Board approved a balanced budget for the 2010-2011 school year following a recommendation from the Finance Committee. The focus in balancing was to protect, to the great degree possible, direct service to students. The Board has balanced without sacrificing existing funded programs.
The balanced budget reflects total projected revenues or allocations of $194,753,932 which is split into operating revenues of $190,265,266 and capital allocations of $4,488,666. The budget is based on a projected enrolment that will be 2.98% lower in elementary and 3.03% lower in secondary schools.
Approval of Tenders
Life Safety Upgrades at South Huron District High School
The fire alarm system at South Huron District High School was identified as being in need of replacement to bring it up to current code requirements as the current system has wiring problems. Separate prices were also received to upgrade the emergency lighting, exit lighting and entry convectors. This project will be funded through the Facilities Renewal Grant. The Board accepted the tender from J.W. Kelly’s Electric Limited for ventilation upgrades to South Huron District High School in the tender amount of $130,728.57.
Mechanical Upgrades at Central Huron Secondary School
The ventilation system in the tech wing at Central Huron Secondary School was identified as being in need of replacement to bring it up to current code requirements. This project will be funded through the new Energy Efficient School funding. The Board accepted the tender from Brad Baker Plumbing and Heating Inc. for ventilation upgrades to Central Huron Secondary School in the tender amount of $192,416.40.
Mechanical Upgrades at Brookside Public School
The existing ventilation system at Brookside Public School has been identified as in need of replacement. The school will receive a new air handling unit as well as an upgrade to the associated control system which will help to achieve higher operating efficiency. This project will be funded through the Good Places to Learn stage 4 funding. The Board accepted the tender from Stratford Metal Products for ventilation upgrades to Brookside Public School in the tender amount of $101,507.90.
Facilities Capital Renewal Project over the Summer
If needed, it has been customary for the board to authorize the Director or designate to proceed in the most efficient way possible with facilities renewal tendered projects during the summer period.
This year, it is anticipated that tenders may be required for:
Renovations at Huron Centennial which includes lighting and unit ventilators in one wing (Phase 1 of a multi-year project) and the addition of windows in the admin area.
the Avon Maitland District School Board proceed with all tendered facilities renewal projects as expeditiously as possible; and that, the Avon Maitland District School Board grant approval to the successful tender in each of the projects commenced during the summer break period on the understanding that:
a) each tender is recommended by the appropriate professional;
b) each tender is recommended by the Director of Education or designate; and
c) all necessary information is communicated to the Board at its next regular meeting.
Early Learning Program Extended Day Viability
The Full Day Early Learning Statute Law Amendment Act, 2010 (Bill 242), received Royal Assent on May 18, 2010 and was proclaimed in force as of June 3, 2010. The government sees this as an important step forward in implementing its vision for a seamless integrated extended day for four and five year olds beginning in September 2010. The Ministry subsequently released a memo documenting the details of the regulations passed to implement full day junior kindergarten and kindergarten and extended day programs.
The regulations detail the duty to operate full day junior kindergarten and kindergarten in the phase one schools and defines the enrolment threshold at which an ECE is required (16 students).
Boards are not required to offer extended day programs (before and after school)at school sites where:
there is a projected enrolment, as defined by the regulation, of less than 10 pupils in at least one part of the day (before or after school) per minimum staff required, and the appropriate projected pupil enrolment cannot be reached by opening up to 25% of extended day spaces in a program unit to pupils in Grades one and two. This requirement to use older pupils to support viability applies only to schools with no onsite third party operating a before and after school program for pupils in grades one and two.
The regulation details the duty to operate extended day programs while recognizing the right to maintain pre-existing agreements with third party providers (in the short term) defines the minimum number of pupils required for a site to operate an extended day program and establishes the fee-calculations process.
It was determined that none of the schools in Avon Maitland offering the Early Learning Programs will be offering extended day programs (before or after school) due to insufficient demand.
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test – April 2010 Results
Assessment and Evaluation Coordinator John Herbert provided the Board with a review of the Ontario Secondary School Listeracy Test Results released on June 16, 2010. The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is a quality assurance measure that shows the extent to which Ontario students are meeting the minimum literacy standard expected by the end of grade 9. The test assesses the reading and writing skills students are expected to have learned across all subjects as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum. Test results inform school and board planning efforts to improve literacy. Schools can use the results of the test and other information, such as report card marks, to develop strategies to strengthen student achievement. It is important to emphasize that the OSSLT results are meant to be used to improve student achievement and learning, not to rank schools. In April 2010, 84% of first-time eligible students who wrote the test were successful on the test. This was the same as the provincial results, and over 2 percentage points lower from the past three years’ average. The Avon Maitland District School Board’s success rate for the April 2010 test is 2% higher than the October, 2003 rate of 82%.
Future Board Meetings
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 – 5:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole, Open Session, 7:00 p.m. Committee of the Whole, Closed Session, 8:00 p.m. Regular Board Session
Future Meetings/Events with Trustee Representation
District Leaders’ Day: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 – 8:30 a.m.
SEAC: Wednesday, September 8, 2010 – 4:00 p.m.
AODA: Thursday, September 16, 2010 – 4:00 p.m.
School Council Chairs: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 – 6:30 p.m
Post a Comment