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HomeMy WebLinkAboutChairs' Committee Report 2 30 Jan 2007 Minutes PublicOTTAWA- CARLETON DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD REPORT NO. 2, CHAIRS' COMMITTEE TO: The Board DATE: 30 January 2007 A meeting of the Chairs' Committee was held this evening commencing at 6:05 p.m. in the Trustees' Committee Room, 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, with Trustee Rob Campbell in the Chair and the following also in attendance: TRUSTEE MEMBERS: Alex Getty, Margaret Lange, Greg Laws and Lynn Scott OTHER TRUSTEES: Riley Brockington, Cathy Curry, Pam FitzGerald, Bronwyn Funiciello, Jennifer McKenzie, David Moen and John Shea STUDENT TRUSTEE: Steven Robins STAFF: Dr. Lorne M. Rachlis, Director of Education and Secretary of the Board Diane Jeudy -Hugo, Executive Superintendent Mike Carson, Superintendent of Facilities Michael Clarke, Chief Financial Officer Neil Yorke - Slader, Acting Superintendent of Instruction Michele Giroux, Executive Officer Monica Ceschia, Manager of Board Services Maggie Melenhorst, Manager of Communications and Information Services Norah Vollmer, Coordinator, Policies and Procedures Robert Giekes, Audio Visual Technician Bruce Fraser, Committee Coordinator NON - VOTING REPRESENTATIVES: Hal Grossner, Special Education Advisory Committee Kerry Houlahan, Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (Teachers) Elaine Morgan, Ottawa - Carleton Assembly of School Councils Morgann Reid, Student Trustee Advisory Committee Call to Order Chair Campbell called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. 2. Approval of Agenda Moved by Trustee Shea, THAT the agenda be approved. - Carried - Chairs' Committee 1 30 January 2007 Public Question Period There were no public questions. 4. Report No. 07 -014, Appointment of Trustee to Outdoor Education Council of Ottawa Your Committee had before it staff report No. 07 -014 seeking confirmation of the on -going partnership of the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board with the Outdoor Education Council of Ottawa and the appointment of a trustee representative to the Council. Acting Superintendent Yorke - Slader reviewed the history of the partnership development noting that the former Council to Sustain Outdoor Education secured funding through the TD Bank Financial Group and the province of Ontario. The Council was renamed the Outdoor Education Council of Ottawa and is comprised of the Friends of Lasting Outdoor Education, the YMCA -YWCA, the City of Ottawa, the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board and the three conservation authorities serving the Ottawa area. He noted that the trustee representative would be the only political appointee serving on the Council. Moved by Trustee Shea, A. THAT the Board recognize the Outdoor Education Council of Ottawa (OECD) and reaffirm its commitment to this partnership; and B. THAT the Board appoint a trustee and an alternate, to the Outdoor Education Council of Ottawa (OECD) as soon as possible, to ensure that the interests of the OCDSB are fully represented and to keep trustees informed of the work of the Council. - Carried as amended below - Moved in amendment b'y Trustee Scott, THAT "and an alternate" be added following "...appoint a trustee" in part B, (incorporated above). - Carried (friendly) - Report No. 07 -018 Sponsored Naming of Schools /Board Facilities Your Committee had before it staff report No. 07 -018 seeking input with respect to the possible extension of board policy regarding the naming of board buildings, including schools, and facilities within buildings, in recognition of generous financial donations to the Ottawa - Carleton District School Board. Director Rachlis clarified that he is seeking input from trustees to determine if there is an interest in pursuing this concept to encourage new sources of funding from corporations or individuals. He noted that, to his knowledge, no other school board in Ontario has undertaken this type of initiative but other organizations in the Municipalities, Universities, Schools and Hospitals (MUSH) group successfully utilize this type of revenue generation. * recommendation approved at the January 30, 2007 Board meeting. Chairs' Committee 2 30 January 2007 Trustees expressing support for the concept also expressed the need for caution with respect to some aspects of policy wording and whether it should be incorporated into existing policy P.107.FAC Naming of Schools and Educational Support Facilities and Opening Ceremonies, or developed as a separate policy. Some trustees, while not in support of the naming of buildings, expressed the view that the naming of facilities within buildings, or the application of acknowledgment plaques in auditoriums, gymnasiums or playgrounds would be acceptable. Student Trustee Robins expressed the view that students would not be in favour of a policy providing for the corporate branding of facilities. Elaine Morgan noted that the membership of the Ottawa - Carleton Assembly of School Councils is divided on this issue. She expressed the view that further discussion should take place before any decisions are made. The Committee agreed that this item would be added to a future agenda for further discussion and consideration. 6. Review of Draft Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs Your Committee had before it a revised version (circulated at the meeting) of the proposed submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. Moved by Trustee Moen, THAT the submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs be approved. Trustee Scott requested that "already" be added to the second sentence in the first paragraph following "We are one of five boards" and "many more" be added to the last sentence in the same paragraph before "school boards across the province..." Moved in aniendnient bi, Trustee Moen, a) THAT "For the 2006 -2007 school tivar, the estimated OCDSB salary and benefit gap is $36 million. " be deleted fi°oni the second paragraph. - Carried - b) THAT "This government has not inipleniented the spirit of the Rozanski report which called for each point of the funding formula to cover the actual cost of delivering each contemplated service " be added in the second paragraph. - Carried - Moved in aniendnient bi, Trustee Moen, THAT "$4 million " be replaced with the actual percentages for the declining enrohnent grant and declining enrohnent levels in the fourth paragraph. - Carried as sub - amended below - Chairs' Committee 3 30 January 2007 Moved in sub - amendment bi, Trustee Scott, THAT the sentence be revised to read " It was bad enough that our declining enrolment grant was reduced by approximately $4 million or 50% for this school year even though our enrolment decline was about the same as the previous Year. It is even more o f a concern that .... - Carried - Moved in amendment by Trustee Moen THAT the first bullet in the last paragraph be revised to read: • Fund the true costs of education bY eliminating the gaps in salary, benefit and facilities benchmarks, in accordance with the principles of the Rozanski Report in 2002. - Carried - Moved in amendment bi, Trustee FitzGerald, THAT "Our board is receiving less per pupil finding in constant dollars per student today than it had ten Years ago. " be added to the first paragraph with the appropriate footnote (Mackenzie, Hugh. Turning point? Time to renovate Ontario's education finding formula. October 2006) - Carried - Moved by Trustee Moen, THAT the submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs be approved as amended at Chairs' Committee this evening. - Carried - 7. Adjournment On a motion by Trustee Scott the meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m. * recommendation approved at the January 30, 2007 Board meeting. Rob Campbell Chair Chairs' Committee Chairs' Committee 4 30 January 2007