Oddities in the board agenda

I just took a brief look at the agenda for the board meeting for the upcoming week, and found a few odd changes. At first glance there seemed to be no surprises, and it seemed at first there perhaps were no delegations - rare, but it has happened before. One is that delegations have been moved to the end of the meeting, there is not an item for "trustee comments" at the end, and question period for this month is "written format only".

I am not sure what quite to make of this, if anything. Off the top of my head, I can't see what these changes are intended to address, or how they will improve the meeting. I can imagine the "written only format" is going to raise a few eyebrows.

Thoughts?

Full text of the School dsitrict's response to Wayne Braun's resignation

As is, again without editing or comment.

It is with regret that we see Secretary Treasurer Wayne Braun leaving Langley School District. Mr. Braun has only been with us since August, but in that short time he has already made significant contributions that will stand us in good stead as we move forward. Mr. Braun quickly assessed the scope and nature of the financial challenges facing the district and initiated a comprehensive strategy for meeting them.

I especially appreciated his advice and support in preparing the Deficit Elimination Plan, which the district presented to the Ministry of Education in October. It is my belief that his decisive actions will carry us through many challenges even after he has gone, and that his work has provided us with a blueprint for managing our finances. I wish Mr. Braun well.

Our task now becomes finding a new Secretary Treasurer, who can become a key partner of the Senior Management team. We will be looking to fill Mr. Braun's position and are considering how best to do that. We have every confidence in Assistant Secretary Treasurer Tally Baines and our Finance Department staff to continue managing the financial affairs of the district during this search process.

Cheryle Beaumont

Superintendent of Schools Langley School District #35

Full text of Wayne Braun's resignation letter

As many have read, Secretary Treasurer Wayne Braun has submitted his resignation. Here is the full text of his letter:

It is with mixed emotions that I am informing you that I have resigned as Secretary Treasurer for the Langley School District due to personal reasons. My official last day with the district is January 15, 2010, with my last day at work being December 18, 2009.

I have a high regard for the district and the leadership of the Supt. and senior management team and Chair Bech as they continue to lead the district through the challenges of the Deficit Elimination Plan over the next three years.

I have a high regard for the staff that works for me and through the leadership and work of the Assistant ST and the rest of the finance team, new business and internal control processes are being put in place and good work is being accomplished. School and department budgets are being finalized for 2009/10 as the district works towards a balanced fiscal operation in 2009/10.

The district needs to move to a place where all stakeholders work together for the good of the system. The district has significant challenges, but the system is not broken. However it will take all parties working together in a unified fashion to pull this off. There is no I in TEAM.

I wish each of you nothing but the best in the future as together you do your part in moving Langley to the next level. I would also like to personally thank my EA Barbara for her support to me and her excellent work in my short time here.

I will be returning to Calgary and will be undertaking a new role in the education sector.

Wayne Braun Secretary Treasurer Langley School District

As is my practice when it is someone else's word, I will leave this intact and without comment here, although I will have more to say on this in a separate post (or possibly in teh comments section) at a different time).

Uplands Elementary Holiday Craft & Small Business Fair, Nov 28th

Uplands parent, Mike McDonald, sent me the following via email:

- - - - -

Can you help me out to spread the word of my kid's school's 2nd annual Holiday Craft and Small Business Fair?

It is November 28th in our school gym from 10-3:30. Uplands Elementary, 4471 207 A Ave, just off 208.

We had a very popular basket raffle and bake sale that we are continuing this year and adding a silent auction and children's make and take area, the funds for the latter will be going to the grade 5 farewell. It’s a project that they are undertaking on their own, with parental guidance, so it will be a great learning hands on project.

Our vendors were great last year and had interesting, one of a kind handmade gifts and specialty items. Spices were available for purchase as well as wax to burn. They were very happy with the event last year and we have many returning. They gave us awesome feedback and we offering free refreshments in the morning for them while they set up.

How can you help? By coming out to shop on the 28th, sending these to your email contacts as you see fit and if possible printing and posting a poster of our event at your local community board, church or places of business. Also let your crafty and small business friends know of the opportunity to rent a table.

Many thanks

Hope to see you at the fair

Lisa, Uplands PAC

By-elections today

I am going to divert from my usual school issues and open a thread about today's federal by-elections. There are four ridings in play, previously held by the bloc (2), the NDP (1 in BC), independent (1 in NS).

The one bloc seat will stay that way.. The other three are races between the Tories and other parties (1 bloc, 2 NDP). The Liberals do not appear to be in play in any of the four.

Here is what I think will happen:

• Quebec: one bloc (easy win), one Tory (squeaker over the bloc)
• NS: Tory (NDP will pull a strong second)
• BC: NDP in a squeaker over the Tory

How about you? Did you even know this was happening? What does it say if the Toris win (or lose) all three riding where they are in the game?

Board Meeting - Nov 3, 2009

A pretty light agenda last night, and a pretty tame meeting. Sparsely attended.

Trustee Ross is away sick.

No delegations tonight.

Superintendent Cheryl Beaumont's report highlighted the International Student Program.

Budget update

Secretary Treasurer Braun started by providing context for the rest the of presentation. Still a few weeks from hearing from the minster. Net deficit is 8.2million.

2010-11 is the first year to tackle the accrued deficit. May be me able to save some in the current year as well. Discretionary TOCs is one area of restriction this year.

We have, in theory, tapped into a line of credit. Need to apply future saving towards that line of credit over the next few years. Freeze has been put on local capital as well as other areas of discresionary spending. Quarter financial update due next board meeting.

Enrollment update

Numbers by head count is static, but the "full time equivalent" is down 68.325 students. This an important distinction, in that funding is based on the number of FTEs. Again, all areas are down in enrollment except Willoughby slope and choice schools.

McFarlane - noted most of the reduction is at the secondary schools while elementary students are up.

McVeigh - We are still far short of 2001 levels. Asked about Apex decline, response is that intake is progressive over the year, and there is some growth at the Anderson site which offsets that.

Question Period

LTA VP Gayle Chaddock-Costello as why more students at grade 11 and 12 are taking les than a full load. Are schools not offering enough variety of course choices? Is that why there is a reduced load at the grade 11 and 12 level? Answer: that information has not been made to the board.

Late in the meeting I checked some other education blogs I read and came across this bit of news from the Vancouver Sun's education reporter, Janet Steffenhagen.

It was reported earlier this week that Education MinisterMargaret MacDiarmid was ill, but we didn't know how serious it was until Tuesday when our legislative reporter Jonathan Fowlie got an exclusive interview.

She was recently rushed to hospital and within a few hours was completely unresponsive, Fowlies says in a story to be published in Wednesday's newspaper.

MacDiarmid, a 52-year-old doctor, had pneumococcal meningitis, a rare but serious infection that she described as a life-or-death emergency.

MacDiarmid said the headache arrived on the evening of Friday Oct. 23, while she was having dinner with her youngest brother's family.

"I got up to play a game with my niece," MacDiarmid said. "And suddenly I felt like the top of my head was going to blow off."

The mortality rate for the disease is 20 per cent, even with treatment, the story says.

She was taken to Surrey's Peace Arch Hospital but later transferred to Royal Columbian. She was released last Thrusday but is still taking intravenous antibiotics.

MacDiarmid said doctors are optimistic she will recover fully, but said they've told her it can take up to a month before she will feel better.

I hate to imagine what may have happened if she had not been with others at the time. I am sure we all wish her well, and a full and speedy recovery.

October 13 Board meeting report

Last night's Board meeting was eventful for different reasons than I expected, and also surprising sparsely attended. Not only was the deficit elimination plan discussed at length, but of particular interest is when McFarlane challenged Chair Bech on a ruling preventing him from addressing his topic during the "trustee activities" portion of the meeting. Chair Bech stepped back while Vice Chair Johnson assumed the role of chair while the matter was settled.

Delegations:

Susan Fonseca, LTA - "Working together for student success"

Spoke about "The power of unified advocacy", focused on class size and composition. She cited a number of classroom situations where there are issues not only with size and composition, but with size of classrooms (for example, a class that works for 24 has 30 or more students). Called the superintendent report a "farce" and stated it does not deserve the respect of teachers, and should not be supported by the board, cited the actions of the Vancouver school board. Applauded the unity from all parties who wrote a letter to the Ministry regarding the inadequacy of education funding. Stated the LTA wants the board ask BoE to nullify the debt - educators and student should not pay the price for errors of senior management. Asked trustees to reject the superintendent's report.

Gail Chaddock-Costello, LTA - "Deficit Elimination Plan"

Referred to Grant Thornton report, and the 8.2 million reported. Looking for sources of debt reduction. Suggests reducing cost of administration. Provincial funding needs to be increased. Unfortunately her powerpoint was not working. Concerned about impact on the classroom. She restated that the LTA requests that the board ask the MoE to eliminate the district debt.

Statements from trustees:

McFarlane - started to speak but was cut off by Chair Bech, who stated we do not discuss in camera items in public meetings. MacFarlane challenged the chair on the ruling, Bech stepped back and vice chair Johnson chaired the dispute. A motion to sustain the chair (moved by Burton, seconded Ross), was followed by much discussion on the proper process. The board elected to take a recess while Robert's rules of order was figured out. When they came back, trustees voted to support the chair (McFarlane and Johnson opposed). McFarlane also announced he was postponing his notice of motion on his "whistle blower" policy to consult further with staff and other trustees.

Bech - however much we disagree, we can have a civil debate. Consider the impact on other before speaking.

Item for the Boards consideration:

Note that this is not an exhaustive list, but, rather, items that stood out to me as highlights.

1) Deficit elimination plan

Board has approved plan to put to the MoE. Discussions with MoE are under way. Can only speak generally at this point. Met with all partner groups.

Four key areas to cut spending or find additional revenue:

i) Revenue enhancement (such as rental of facilities) $185,000.

ii) Admin/centralized service reductions - $1,585,000.

Central Administration - $810,000

Admin position not to be filled after retirement - $175,000.

Building shutdowns over winter break - $100,000.

Calendar non-instructional days alignment - $25,000.

Tuition recovery (Adult programs) - $100,000.

Centralize accounts and services - $250,000.

Eliminate contribution to foundation - $50,000

Capital reductions - $50,000.

Trustee expenses - $10,000

iii) Indirect Service reductions - $775,000

This went by before I could type the list of possibilities, and Superintendent Beaumont said that other ideas could be considered outside the list. Of note, though, was the potential for school consolidations.

iv) Services to schools - $790,000

Allocations to schools $500,000 (less than .5% of allocation total)

Elementary Counselling/ Reading recover $290,000 (4% of full allocation)

Final Total: $3,335,000 in reduced costs (and some modest increased revenues) on an annual basis.

McVeigh - clarified from staff that we don't need to find another $5 million, but this is essentially a proposed annual payment over the allotted period that Langley has to pay the MoE back.

McFarlane - asked how reducing spending by 9 million from last year will not impact classrooms.

Ross - asked how our international student enrolment is doing. Noted that this plan is assuming international student number stay the same, but swine fly and the global economy could have an impact.

Johnson - stated that it was time for a little honesty. We should not be in the situation in the first place. To say that it won't impact school would not be honest. Yes, we work together and yes we want to resolve this together, but there are reaching impacts on schools.

Bech - no one is happy we are at this point, but we are committed to working together to minimize impact to students.

Motion to accept the plan was carried unanimously.

2) That the report on class size on composition for the Langley School District be accepted.

There are 20 classes over 30 but are restricted to band, fine arts, and explorations, and received consent of teachers involved. Unfortunately I had a computer glitch at this point (hence the loud beep everyone heard in the room) so I did not get the specifics here. However, I took home a copy of the enrolment report and will try to post info in a later posting.

3) DPAC Finance subcommittee (vice-chair Johnson)

Recommendation: That the BoE thank DPAC for their commitment to work with the school district through the current budget challenges and that any information provided by the DPAC Finance subcommittee be provided to the Board through the secretary treasurer. Passed unanimously.

4) Policy #3203 - Financial reports and statements (trustee McFarlane)

Recommendation: that the board request staff bring forward an amended policy #3203 - Financial reports and statements, that reflects a regular financial reporting schedule and financial analysis of any significant change (McFarlane clarified that significant change meant any school closures, openings, and reconfigurations). McFarlane also revised his notice of motion to require quarterly reports for now, and monthly down the road. Passed unanimously.