Minutes of
April 7th, 2005
7:00 PM
Location: District Office,
Present:
Mr.
Bill Sceviour (Chair) Mr.
Randell Mercer, Director
Ms.
Lisa Wheeler Mr.
Charlie McCormack
Mr.
Gerald Hounsell Ms.
Claudine Wells
Ms.
Carolyn Andrews Ms.
Bonnie Lane McCarthy
Mr.
Clar Brown Ms.
Mr.
Randy Edison
Regrets:
Mr.
Terry Brown Mr.
Shawn Brace
Ms.
Linda Cutler
Bill
Sceviour opened the Meeting at 7:15 PM
1. The Director explained the three documents
distributed to Board Members:
A. Change
Requirements 2005 Plan to Restructure Schools
B. Action
Plan to Implement the 2005 Framework Document Draft #2
C. 2005
Framework Document for
The Director briefed the Board on the feedback he
has received from schools and community leaders. For the most part, the feedback has been
positive and the people who are critical are fairly reasonable in their
discussion.
Mr. Edison was concerned that it be made clear to
the public that the government must fund this plan for it to be completed.
Mr. Sceviour pointed out that the Framework document
sets the vision for the future. The
Action Plan is more flexible and will depend on funding and process
requirements.
The Director discussed the financial aspects of the
plan and the money that can be utilized from incentive savings. This should allow a lot of the work to be
completed. He pointed out that this
District can best be in position to get capital funds if there is a five-year
plan in place. It is important to be
proactive.
Motion: that the Board accept and adopt the
2005 Framework Document for
It was suggested that there are a few grammatical
and emphasis changes that need to be made but nothing that changes the intent
of the document.
The Board members liked the educational rationale of
structuring schools in the manner that the curriculum is structured in
2. Action Plan to Implement the 2005 Framework Document for
The Director took the School Board through the
Plan. The Plan will change the current
39 school systems into 34 school systems.
The Plan is set up by year for the next five years. It is also arranged by school system (Appendix B).
The Capital Projects are identified in Appendix C.
Motion: That the Board accept and adopt
Action Plan to Implement the 2005 Framework Document for Restructuring School
Systems – Draft # 2. (Hounsell/C.
Brown) Carried.
Discussion:
The Director explained the Communication Strategy
for the Release of the five-year Restructuring Plans (see attached).
The Board Members suggested that the affected
schools be informed before the complete plan is posted on the website. The councils should be given a deadline for
response.
There was a discussion on the appropriate manner of
public consultation.
Motion: That the Board accept the
communication plan as presented with the following suggestions:
·
A letter be drafted to individual schools by April 8.
·
Advise principals to use a standard letter with local changes inserted
as part of communication to parents by April 12 AM
·
Deadline be suggested for response from school councils by April
15.
(Andrews/C. Brown).
Carried.
There
was a discussion on the time required for staffing schools before the May 7th,
2005 deadline.
3. The Director presented the information
on requests for funding.
Motion: to write the Minister of Education
requesting funding from the ‘Department’s Capital Planning Budget ($250,000)’
to appoint consultants to carry out preliminary design work for each of the
capital projects within the Board’s School System Restructuring Plan, and to
prepare cost estimates for the designated projects therein. (Wheeler/Edison). Carried.
Motion: to request appointment of
engineering firm to commence design work to extend EVH – Maple with appropriate
renovations and upgrades to redevelop this building into an intermediate school
for students of the Grand Falls-Windsor School System. (Andrews/C. Brown). Carried.
Motion: to request that the Minister of
Education extend the Special Incentives Program from tst current 3-year
retention cycle to a 5-year retention cycle following a school closure or
reduction, and to direct those funds, in conjunction with other approved
capital funding, to financing the capital works component of the Board’s 5-year
School System Restructuring Plan.
(Edison/Pritchett). Carried.
Road
Conditions in
The
Director reported on a recent visit to the schools in
4. Date of Next Meeting
The next regular meeting of the Board will be held
on April 19, 2005 commencing 7:00 PM at the Regional Office.
5. Adjournment
Motion: to
adjourn the meeting at 9:40 PM. Carried.
_________________________ ________________________
William
Sceviour Charlie
McCormack
Chair Recorder
CMcC/fg