February 26th, 2013
Director’s Update
Waterloo Region District School Board – Board Meeting
On February 25, 2013 at 7:00pm, the WRDSB held its monthly Board Meeting. The agenda and reports for this meeting are available on the Board’s website by clicking here.
No delegations appeared at this meeting.
Receipt/Approval of Minutes
Trustees approved the following minutes:
- Special Education Advisory Committee – January 9, 2013
- Committee of the Whole Meeting – February 11, 2013
Trustees received the following minutes:
- Board Meeting – January 28, 2013
Reports
Status of Partial French Immersion Elementary Enrolment and Projected Grade One Enrolment (For Information)
The Partial French Immersion program began in the Waterloo Region District School Board in 1977 in response to an identified need. Since this time, the program is offered in 38 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools. The grade one component of the Partial French Immersion program represents approximately 23% of the total grade one enrolment in the Board.
Currently, there are 5,283 students enrolled in the elementary Partial French Immersion program, an increase of 9.4% from 2011-12. At the secondary level, there are 786 students registered in the Extended French and Partial French Immersion Programs, an increase of 5.1%.
As of January 31, 2013, there are 1,226 grade one Partial French Immersion registrants for the 2013/14 school year. To date, 1,096 students have been accommodated, which is an increase of 16% from the 2012/13 school year. To accommodate the increased demand for the grade one year of the Partial French Immersion program, three new sites will open in the Cambridge area: Centennial Public School, Moffat Creek Public School, and Tait Street Public School.
If all designated sites open with full grade one classes, then 77 student spaces will be available across the Board for families interested in transporting their child to a Partial French Immersion site. These spaces will be offered to families who are on a waiting list based on position established by lottery. At present, there are 69 Partial French Immersion home school and out-of-area students on waiting lists. Should these families request to move their children to an open space in an alternative school site, the present waiting list could be eliminated. New registrants will be accepted until October 4, 2013.
Permanent Financing of Capital Projects – Ontario Financing Authority (OFA10) (For Approval)
Since 2010, the Ministry recognized capital grant entitlements based on the approved capital expenditures of the project. Boards continue to finance approved capital expenditures over the long-term through the Ontario Financing Authority, and receive a cash flow from the Ministry to meet their annual debt repayments.
Trustees approved the following recommendation:
That the Waterloo Region District School Board approve and adopt the Waterloo Region District School Board By-law Number 2013-D1 which is a by-law to authorize a loan from the Ontario Financing Authority in the principal amount of $29,456,786 pursuant to a loan agreement under section of 12 Ontario Regulation 466/97; and
That the Board authorizes staff to complete the loan agreement and necessary legal documents pursuant to Waterloo Region District School Board By-law Number 2013-D1.
External Auditor Appointment (For Approval)
Section 253 (1) of the Education Act requires that every board appoint one or more auditors for a term not exceeding five years. Similarly, subsection 9 (4) 1 of Ontario Regulation 361/10 on Audit Committees states that an audit committee of a board has a duty to make recommendations to the board on the appointment, replacement or dismissal of the external auditor, and on the fee and fee adjustment for the external auditor.
Trustees approved the following recommendation:
That the Board appoint the firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, as the external auditor for the 5 year period from 2012-2013 to 2016-2017.
Student Suspension/Expulsion Report January 31, 2013 (For Information)
This report provides information about suspensions and expulsions for January 2013, as well as the data for the same month in 2012. Year-to-date suspensions and expulsions up to January 2013 are included in the report.
Staffing Information – Retirements and Resignations (For Information)
Staff members who are retiring or resigning from the Board are listed in this report. Four staff members with over 95 years of service will retire from the WRDSB. One staff member resigned.
Staffing Recommendations – Appointments (For Approval)
The Board is pleased to appoint five support staff and one elementary teacher. The report lists the names of these new staff members.
Trustees approved the following recommendation:
That the Waterloo Region District School Board approve the appointments to staff as outline in the report titled “Staffing Recommendations – Appointments”, dated February 25, 2013.
Two letters received from other school boards and the Ministry of Education were provided to Trustees for information:
Peel District School Board re Bill 115
Ministry of Education response to Regulation 274/12 Letter
The meeting adjourned at 7:59pm
