Board briefs: Public trustees approve calendar

Calendar approved

The public school board has approved a tentative schedule for the 2013-14 school year with a concession to teachers.

Two options for next year's school calendar were met with disapproval of parents so GSSD, in cooperation with Christ the Teacher Catholic Schools (CTTCS), went back to the drawing board and created a third option. Each of the original two options eliminated one of the post-Christmas holiday weeks. The new option keeps both the traditional February and Easter breaks, but adds 10 minutes to the school day.

This alternative received 90 per cent approval from the community on roughly 1,600 votes. Teachers, however, were concerned it puts their work hours over that specified in the collective bargaining agreement.

"It's an issue of contention provincially, but we agreed to appease some of the concern for this year," said Dwayne Reeve, director of education.

Trustees voted to send the calendar to the Ministry of Education for approval. Reeve said they will work in an extra flex days for the teachers that will not affect student instruction.

The ministry has already approved the calendar for CTTCS.

MOA ratified

Good Spirit School Division trustees ratified a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with its newly-formed bus drivers union, CUPE Local 5123, that will see the drivers receive a two per cent cost of living adjustment retroactive to last spring.

The MOA is a rollover of the previous collective bargaining agreement between GSSD and the dissolved CUPE Local 832-4. In addition to the cost of living increase, daily per kilometre rates will be adjusted.

Dwayne Reeve, GSSD director of education and acting financial officer, said the memorandum will cost the division an estimated $5,000 in back pay, which is not yet accounted for in the annual budget.

Expectations set

Dwayne Reeve, GSSD's director of education, thinks a letter of expectations from the Ministry of Education is a step in the right direction.

The letter outlines a framework for achieving the premier's stated goals of leading the country in graduation rates by 2020, measuring and improving student outcomes and reducing the graduation rate disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students by 50 per cent.

Reeve said the measures in the letter will eventually lead to a simplified and cohesive reporting structure that will end duplication and set measurable and achievable targets for literacy and grad rates. He did, however, warn the school board that achieving these educational goals will require supports from outside the school division saying that the biggest roadblock is attendance and engagement of First Nations students.

He said commitments in the provincial budget for increased day care and pre-kindergarten programs could have a positive influence on improving attendance.

Enrolment bucks

GSSD and CTTCS will benefit from an increase of $17 million in the Saskatchewan government's new budget earmarked for enrolment increases.

At the public division's regular board meeting, Dwayne Reeve, director of education, presented projections that indicate the area is just on the cusp of a new cohort of pre-K and Kindergarten children about to enter the system due to rising birthrates and skyrocketing immigration.

The Province also has provisions in the budget for 40 new relocatable classrooms by September.

Collections down

There were no big surprises in GSSD's monthly financial report to the board of trustees March 21, but the division is lagging a bit behind in property tax collections.

Compared to last year at this time, tax payments to the division are down approximately 15 per cent from 80 per cent to 65 per cent.

It is likely due to changes to incentives for early payment of property taxes.