Boardroom Newsbrief – March 26, 2019

(The Newsbrief is meant to provide the highlights of the decisions made at the Board meeting for the benefit of our community. The notes do not serve as the official record of the meeting. Please refer to Board or Committee minutes).

Public Motions

Adoption of Education Development Charges By-law

The Board confirmed an additional public meeting was not required prior to the adoption of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s Education Development Charges. Thus the Board approved the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board’s Education Development Charges Background Study for the purpose of adopting the Board’s Education Development Charges By-law No. 01- 2019.

Rates Effective April 1, 2019

Effective, April 1, 2019, the new rates will be $723.00 per new residential dwelling unit and $0.52 per new square foot of non-residential gross floor area. 

Trustee Carryforwards Cap

Trustees approved an amendment to clause 2.13 of P.005.GOV Board Member Expenses and Support Services. 

This means Trustees may carry forward up to $2,500 in unspent Trustee funds. However, if a Trustee chooses to carry forward funds they must submit a written request outlining the rationale for such carryforwards. Carryforwards would not be permitted in an election year. Funds carried forward must be used prior to the end of the Board’s term of office.

Letter to Ministers Thompson and MacLeod, Re: Service to Students with Autism

Trustees directed Chair Scott to write a letter to Minister Thompson, Ministry of Education, and Minister MacLeod, Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services endorsing the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) position regarding the impact of the planned changes to the Ontario Autism Program on school boards. The letter also requested the Ministers meet with OPSBA representatives to further discuss the proposed changes. 

Elmdale Public School Construction Project Funding Approval

Trustees approved the funding for Elmdale Public School's addition.  The total budget is $12,250,000. The funds will come from the Capital Priorities funding; School Condition Improvement funding; Facilities Renewal Program funding; and Temporary Accommodation funding. Staff was authorized to proceed to tender with the project once Ministry approval is obtained. The Chair and Director were given authority to award the contracts to the successful bidder(s) so long as they are within the approved project budget.

2019-2020 Academic Staffing 

Background

The process for staffing elementary and secondary schools for the next school year begins early in the calendar year, projecting enrolments and determining system staffing levels. At the school level, the staffing process begins in April, following the approval of academic staffing, when principals receive their staffing allocations from Human Resources, and begin developing school timetables, assigning teachers and identifying surplus staff and/or vacancies 

The Board approved academic staffing levels, including elementary teachers, secondary teachers, principals, and vice-principals, for 2019-2020 school year as outlined in Appendix AAppendix B, and Appendix C

Policy P.073.GOV Board Member of Conduct  

Trustees approved the Ad Hoc Committee on Code of Conduct's recommendation that the revisions to the Code of Conduct move forward with a view to appointing an integrity commissioner. 

OCDSB Motion for OPSBA Annual General Meeting Consideration

Trustees approved submitting an OCDSB motion to OPSBA for consideration at its Annual General Meeting. 

The motion is as follows - OPSBA recommend the Ministry of Education provide funding to be used exclusively for autism supports in schools, with the following elements:

A.        Funding for staffing, including an Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Coordinator for each District and retrofitting of designated space in schools where individual and group Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) and ABA therapies can be delivered by community therapists;

B.        Funding for a minimum of 1 Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) for each board with fully self-contained Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classrooms, and additional BCBAs for boards serving the highest number of children with autism, based on a formula of boards with fewer than 1000 children with autism - 1 BCBA and boards with greater than 1000 children with autism - 2 or more BCBAs, maintaining a near similar ratio of 1:1000;

C.        Funding to allow staff, including teachers, early childhood educators, and educational assistants, to undertake training to become Registered Behavioural Technicians (RBTs), such that each board serving children with autism, will achieve staffing of RBTs based on a formula of boards with fewer than 1000 children with autism  20 RBT, and boards with greater than 1000 children with autism 30 or more RBTs, maintaining a near similar ratio of 20:1000;

D.        Funding for a centrally assigned educator to support students with autism, with respect to educational programming, Individual Education Plans (IEPs), transition planning, etc.;

E.         Funding for professional support staff (i.e., Speech and Language Pathology, Psychology) to support programs and services in support of students with autism;

F.         Funding for additional Educational Assistants to support students with ASD who remain in a regular classroom setting and for each new ASD fully self-contained classroom boards will have to open to support children with autism who will be entering the school system full-time without first having intensive IBI and ABA therapies; and

G.        Funding to continue targeted autism programs such as “Art of Play”, “Art of Conversation” and “PEERS”.  

Meeting ended at 9:25 p.m. 

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