September 22nd, 2015

On Monday, September 21, the Waterloo Region District School Board held a Committee of the Whole Meeting. You can find the agenda and reports for this meeting online.

One delegation appeared at the meeting, speaking to the topic of French Immersion transportation.

Policy and Governance (30 minutes)

Review of Board Policy 1000 – Display of Flags
Trustees reviewed, and approved the policy.

Review of Board Policy 4005 – Procurement
Trustees reviewed, and approved the policy.

Review of Board Policy 4008 – Segregation of Duties and Cheque Signing Authority
Trustees reviewed, and approved the policy.

Review of Board Policy 5001 – Appointment of Principals and Vice-Principals Elementary/Secondary
Trustees reviewed, and approved the policy.

Reports (Business Services Focus)

Major Capital Projects – Quarterly Update
Trustees received an update on major capital projects currently underway that have a budget over $2.5M. Highlights of the report include the completion of the new Westmount PS, and construction of the new Vista Hills PS and Riverside PS. More information on the projects can be found in the report.

New South Kitchener (Groh Drive) Elementary School Opening Date
Following approval by the Ministry of Education to build a new JK-8 elementary facility on January 24, 2013, Board staff have continued to update Trustees on the status of planning approvals and the subsequent delays in both acquiring the school site, and in obtaining building permit approval to begin school construction. More recently it was confirmed that delays by the developer in meeting the conditions related to the construction of a storm water management (SWM) pond has delayed the final approval of the site plan, the issuance of a building permit and tendering for the new school.

Trustees approved the following recommendation:

That the Waterloo Region District School Board reschedule the opening date for the new South Kitchener (Groh Drive) Elementary School to September 2017.

That the Waterloo Region District School Board hold a school community meeting to update parents and the broader Doon South Community on the timing of construction and the opening of the new South Kitchener (Groh Drive) Elementary School, and that representatives of the City of Kitchener and Activa Holdings Inc., be invited to assist in explaining the conditions related to the development of the subdivision and the resulting delays in site plan approval, issuance of a building permit and the construction of the planned new school.

Capital Priorities – Revised Approvals
Each year staff reviews capital projects to ensure that all board approvals align with Ministry funding approvals and are consistent with other recommendations. More information on the revised approvals can be found in the report.

Trustees approved the following recommendation:

That the Waterloo Region District School Board approves the revised additional expenditures of $309,629 from the Board’s Education Development Charges (EDCs) at Silverheights Public School project (revised total $6,776,169).

Bank Borrowing Resolution
In the normal course of business, the Board borrows money to meet its current operating expenditures. This is necessary because of differences in cash flow. The timing of the collection of revenue from the municipalities and province does not coincide with payment schedules for the expenditures of the Board. The Education Act allows borrowing up to the uncollected amount of revenues of the Board. The borrowing limit for 2015 was set at $50M.

Trustees approved the following recommendation:

That the Waterloo Region District School Board adopt the Resolution, as outlined in Appendix A of the report titled Bank Borrowing Resolution, dated September 21, 2015 authorizing the borrowing of money to meet current expenditures of the Waterloo Region District School Board for the fiscal year 2016.

 

Community Hubs Framework Discussion
Trustees engaged in discussion around the strategic action plan and framework for community hubs in Ontario. Schools play an important role in communities across the province, and this report outlines recommendations to help existing public spaces to become community hubs. Fore more information on this report, please visit  www.ontario.ca/communityhubs

The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:20pm