With recent budget cuts to education, the Board of Trustees is considering a Special Tax Levy to ensure our most critical work continues.
Members of the public are invited to take our survey on a Special Tax Levy.
Let us know what you think about it and what you would like the tax levy funds to support.
The survey will be available from May 13 to 17.
At yesterday’s regularly scheduled board meeting, the Board of Trustees approved two motions that will assist the District in monitoring its use of space inside schools and in caring for exterior spaces near schools.
Trustees approved a motion to develop an optimal enrolment measure for all district elementary and junior high schools. The new measure will enable the Board of Trustees to determine how effectively the District is using school space to support board priorities in a way that reflects board values.
“Our Board believes strongly that our school space should be used to provide a range of services to our students and their families,” says Board Chair Sarah Hoffman. “This measure will give us a better way to monitor that use.”
Trustees also approved a motion to restrict the application of pesticides on land near schools. Use of pesticides would be reserved for situations where it was not possible to otherwise control weeds that posed a threat to the health and safety of students and staff, or a threat to biodiversity, where the weeds could change the ecosystem on a fundamental level. This expectation will be added to the existing Board Policy FO.BP – Environment as part of the policy review process.
“In approving these two motions, the Board considered first and foremost what was best for our students and staff,” says Board Chair Hoffman. “These decisions also demonstrate how the Board is following through on provincial direction to pursue community partnerships in our work.”
The Board of Trustees invites students, parents, community members and staff to take part in a teleconference on the district budget for 2013-2014. It will be held on Wednesday, May 8 from 7 to 8 p.m.
Participants can call 1-866-696-5910 and use code 9750106 to take part. Prior to the teleconference, participants can review the Distribution of funds report (scroll down to Report #6), upon which the budget will be based.
At yesterday’s regularly scheduled board meeting, the Board of Trustees debated a number of recommendations that will have significant implications for the District.
“Trustees received some very important recommendations, each of which involved consideration of a number of complex factors,” says Board Chair Sarah Hoffman. “We did our very best to balance the competing interests facing the District and made the best decisions we could in extremely challenging circumstances.”
After extensive debate, the Board approved the following:
“Our Board has mixed feelings about the difficult decisions we had to make today,” says Hoffman. “We are trying our best to shelter students from the impact of the cuts we need to make in these difficult financial times, but our students, and our staff, deserve better.”
At yesterday’s regularly scheduled board meeting, the Board of Trustees considered, for the second time, a revised policy on student assessment, achievement and growth. The policy was revised by the Board’s Policy Review Committee after the policy’s first reading, based on feedback received as part of the policy review process.
“Trustees were pleased with the changes proposed by the Committee,” says Board Chair Sarah Hoffman. “The revised policy reflects the changes that were suggested by parents, students, community members and staff.”
The revised policy includes additional definitions of educational terminology, enhanced clarity regarding expectations, and greater clarity on the roles and responsibilities of teachers and principals.
Feedback was gathered through an online survey, a teleconference, letters, emails and presentations at public board meetings. The Board will consider the revised policy for the third time at a future board meeting.
Trustees also approved a motion asking the Administration to prepare information and options regarding a special tax levy for debate in June.
At yesterday’s regularly scheduled board meeting, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to advise the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) not to endorse the proposed agreement between the Government of Alberta and the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
“This deal is not good for the District or our students,” said Sarah Hoffman, Board Chair. “We are being asked to approve a deal we cannot afford.”
The Board is concerned it will not be able to provide the current level of service to students and that the cost of the agreement would likely result in staff reductions.
The Board is also concerned that two committees, the Exceptions Committee and the Teacher Development and Practice Committee, could potentially erode the decision making power of locally elected school boards.
“Our main priority will always be to act in the best interest of our students – to maximize the dollars we have and to minimize any impact on their education,” continued Chair Hoffman.
The ASBA asked individual school boards to give them direction on whether or not they should endorse the proposed agreement.
The full effect of the proposed agreement on district operations is still being considered. The Board is confident the ASBA will convey its concerns to the Government. Individual boards have been asked to ratify the proposed agreement by May 13. The Board of Trustees is hopeful its concerns will be addressed in the coming weeks, so it can revisit the agreement prior to the ratification vote.
At a media availability on Friday afternoon, Sarah Hoffman, Board Chair of Edmonton Public Schools, communicated the Board’s perspective on the budget and the tentative agreement between the Government and the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
Edmonton Public Schools will face a revenue shortfall of at least $3 million for the remainder of this year and $29 million for the 2013-2014 school year, based on the reductions to revenue and with no changes to enrolment. On top of the revenue shortfall, the District will also be facing increased staff costs. For teachers, these costs will include annual increments and benefits, which are not funded as part of the proposed agreement. This revenue shortfall, when combined with increased fixed costs, will have a significant impact on the services the District is able to provide students.
“By all accounts, this shortfall is a conservative estimate, and could end up being far worse. We know this proposed agreement will only exacerbate the financial difficulties we face and we will not be able to sustain our current level of service,” continued Board Chair Hoffman. Unlike the December agreement proposed by the Minister, through which the Government would have funded all of the cost increases, school boards are now being asked to shoulder more of the costs.
“We certainly have some serious concerns about the proposed agreement,” said Board Chair Hoffman. “We have no guarantee that the Government’s commitment to fund staff cost increases will materialize. Our Board does not find this very reassuring, so we need to be prepared to cover all of this cost ourselves.”
The Board also considers the agreement to have a long term negative impact on the ability of parents, community members and school boards to ensure decisions reflect local concerns. As well, the agreement brushes aside more than a century of local decision making and the role of school boards in reflecting the needs of local communities and students.
“Our Board is worried that we have been put in a position that we cannot possibly hope to fund or fulfill the agreement we have been asked to support.”
At yesterday’s regularly scheduled board meeting, the Board of Trustees decided not to proceed with repairs to the McKay Avenue building at this time. The decision means that repairs to infrastructure will be considered as part of the District’s overall needs.
“It is clear that the McKay Avenue building is in need of repairs, but that is true of many district schools,” says Board Chair Sarah Hoffman. “Our priority is keeping educational dollars in the classroom We want to ensure that our students learn in the highest quality environments possible. Sometimes that means making difficult decisions about buildings that do not accommodate and educate students on a daily basis.”
The McKay Avenue building is the home of the District’s Archives and Museum and is used as an educational resource for district staff and the public at large.
The Edmonton Catholic School District and the Edmonton Public School Board have joined forces to carry out a feasibility study on a joint transportation plan. Administrations for both districts will work together to come up with a plan that would improve efficiency, reduce ride times and reduce costs for both districts.
Both Boards approved the feasibility study at their respective public meetings today.
“This is certainly a win – win – win scenario; for Edmonton Public Schools, Edmonton Catholic Schools and the students we serve,” says Board Chair Sarah Hoffman. “We are very pleased to work together to find solutions that demonstrate fiscal responsibility and allow us to be proactive in providing improved bus services.”
Yellow bus service is provided to more than 8,500 Edmonton Public Schools’ students daily. This includes approximately 6,500 students who receive busing because they do not have a school in their neighbourhood or choose to attend an alternative program, and nearly 2,300 Early Education to Grade 12 students who reeive curb-service busing to District Centre special education programs.
In Edmonton Catholic Schools 7,380 students receive regular yellow bus service from their catchment area and an additional 1,275 students receive curb service every day.
“Our Districts are very excited about collaborating on this unique approach to student transportation,” said Becky Kallal, Board Chair with Edmonton Catholic Schools. “Our goal is to reduce ride times and costs while offering the best transportation plan possible for students in both Districts who depend on this daily service,” Kallal went on to say.
It is expected that the recommendations from the feasibility study will be reviewed by both Boards in early January 2014.
Yesterday, the Edmonton Public Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of the City of Edmonton’s Returning Officer for the purposes of the 2013 school board election.
“The decision to retain the City of Edmonton’s Returning Officer builds on the efficiencies the City already has in place,” says Board Chair Sarah Hoffman. “It is great to be able to continue to partner with them to help increase the awareness of the election process.”
The City of Edmonton has conducted the school board elections for the Board for the previous eight municipal elections. They manage all aspects of the election in compliance with the Local Authorities Election Act, including the recruitment of volunteers and staff, and the co-ordination of Nomination Day requirements.
In a cost-sharing agreement, the District’s share for election services will be approximately one million dollars, or 29 per cent of the total municipal election costs in Edmonton.
The full recommendation is available on the epsb.ca website. It provides additional information on the appointment of the City’s Returning Officer.
The next board meeting will take place on February 12, 2013 at 2 p.m.
