This update provides a summary of the public meeting of Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board held Monday, September 26, 2016 at the Education Centre. It is an unofficial summary of the meeting; official minutes will be approved at the next meeting in October.
Welcome to new superintendent and student trustees
Tonight we welcomed Laina Andrews, Superintendent of Education, School Climate & Student Well-Being Services, and student trustees Delanie Austin, Quinte Secondary School and Saud Bin Haseem, Moira Secondary School.
Celebratory videos
Two videos were shown at the start of the meeting. The first was from the Ontario Public School Boards' Association about the role of trustees. The second video, Welcome to the 2016-2017 School Year, highlighted student learning during the first few weeks of the 2016-2017 school year and featured students from schools throughout Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board.
Presentation
Achieving Excellence & Equity: Summer Programs
Curriculum coordinators presented about student learning during the summer months. Seven elementary schools hosted summer camps for students in Grades 1 - 3. The focus was on continuing the learning for students who could benefit from additional learning over the summer months. The program for 105 students involved 14 teachers and 7 educational assistants who provided child-centred/friendly, individual support to each student. Parents were invited to participate during the day and were given daily activities to take home and practise with their children.
Registration for summer school at the secondary level had 400 students enrolled through eLearning. In addition, other summer programs for students in Grades 9-12 involved School Within a College, Dual Credits Program and Credit Recovery.
Thank you to Heather McMaster, Roger Ramsay and Marg Thompson for their presentations. Thank you, also, to all employees who were involved in the various summer learning programs -from educators to support staff -who contributed to student achievement and well-being.
Recommendations
External Audit Plan
Board members approved the content of the external Audit Plan as per Ontario Regulation 361/10. This is a result of amendments to the regulation related to audit committees. As a result, the Audit Committee is now required to make recommendations to the Board on the content of the external auditor's audit plan and on all proposed major changes to the plan.
Appointment of External Auditors for 2016-2017
Board members appointed BDO LLP as the external auditor for 2016-2017 at a remuneration of $35,650.
Internal Auditor's Mandate and Audit Plan
Board members approved the Internal Auditor's Audit Mandate and Multi-Year Audit Plan. This relates to amendments to Ontario Regulation 361/10 made July 10, 2015. The Ministry of Education 2016: B10 Memo requires that a minimum of two engagements per board be conducted by Regional Internal Audit Teams on an annual basis. Changes were made to the Audit Plan for 2016 and as a result, the Audit Committee is now required to make recommendations to the Board on the content of the Internal Auditor's Audit Mandate and Multi-Year Audit Plan.
2016 -2017 Board Policy Review
Board members approved the review of four policies to determine any revisions to comply with legislation, guidelines, the strategic plan and current practices:
- Policy 2: Governance By-Laws and Standing Rules
- Policy 3D: Board Communications and Media Relations
- Policy 11D: Executive Committee
- Policy 12: External Committees and Trustee Advocacy
The revised policies will be reviewed by the Executive Committee, then be included on the November public Board meeting agenda for approval.
Multi-Year Annual Accessibility Plan for the period September 2016 -August 2021
Board members approved the Multi-Year Annual Accessibility Plan for the period September 2016 to August 2021. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005) (AODA) and the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2001) (ODA) require school boards to prepare annual plans to address barriers to persons with disabilities. The plan has had several revisions since it was first published in 2005 and is accessible by link on the HPEDSB web site.
The Accessibility Advisory Committee met in June 2016 to review and update the Multi-Year Annual Accessibility Plan which incorporates plans for the next five-year period. The Multi-Year Accessibility Plan is reviewed on an annual basis by the Accessibility Advisory Committee and approved by the Board.
2015 -2020 Strategic Plan
An annual review of the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan (Pdf) has been completed. Progress on the 2016-2017 actions will be revisited when the next review process begins in February 2017.
Information
A number of district and school events (pdf) are scheduled for the remainder of September and October 2016.
Upcoming events include the following:
- Various dates: Parent-Teacher Nights and school council meetings at several schools
- The dates of upcoming meetings are included at the end of this update
Audit Committee Annual Report to Board
The Annual Report to the Board of Trustees for 2015-2016 has been prepared in accordance with Ministry of Education regulations and guidelines. It is presented to Board members for information each year, prior to November 30, covering the prior fiscal year.
Internal Auditor's Mandate and Audit Plan
The Annual Report to the Ministry of Education for 2015-2016 has been prepared in accordance with Ministry of Education regulations and guidelines. It is submitted to the Ministry of Education each year, prior to November 30, covering the prior fiscal year.
Report from Executive Committee
Highlights from this report included the following:
Professional development modules for Board members have been provided by the Ontario Public School Boards' Association. Trustees participated in a session about ethics this afternoon. More training will occur this year.
Report from Student Enrolment/School Capacity Committee
Highlights from this report included the following:
- September 30, 2016 as the deadline for public consultation on the draft Long-Term Capital and Accommodation Plan
- Creation of Bulletin #6 to inform the public about facility condition index data
- Clarification of the public input to date
Report from Program and Human Resources Committee
Highlights from this report included the following:
- Update on the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan
Name change of Special Education Services to become Student Services, to more accurately reflect the work being done to improve the achievement of all students
- Update on the new web site of the OPSBA
Report from Operations and Finance Committee
Highlights from this report included the following:
- Update on the draft Long-Term Capital and Accommodation Plan
- Capital projects update
- Update on trustee expenses
- Clarification of solar panel projects for two Belleville school
Capital projects update
Highlights from this report included the following:
- Construction of the new Trent River Public School is on schedule and on budget. It is scheduled to open in January 2017
- Construction of the addition at Marmora Senior Public School will begin in March. Detailed drawings are being worked on now
Enrolment update
Highlights from this report included the following:
- Enrolment update:
- elementary enrolment is 10,176, which is approximately 28 students more than last year
- secondary enrolment is 4,700, which is approximately 76 fewer than last year
Reports from trustees
Highlights from this report included the following:
- Update from a meeting of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPABA), which included presentations about advocates for students who are in custody and also about students with Autism
- Update from the OPSBA Indigenous Planning Session, which included a presentation by Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education, among several others
Upcoming public meetings
All meetings take place at the Education Centre unless otherwise noted.
- Monday, October 3: Executive Committee, 11:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, October 11: Student Enrolment/School Capacity Committee, 3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 11: Program and Human Resources Committee, 5:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 11: Operations and Finance Committee, 7:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 18: Special Education Advisory Committee, 5:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 19: Parent Involvement Committee, Annual General Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
- Monday, October 24, 2016: Public Board meeting, 7:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact Kerry Donnell, Communications Officer, extension 2354, [email protected]