Committee of the Whole Budget: March 19, 2024

Written By Cathryne Milburn

The Committee of the Whole meeting for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board took place on March 19, 2024. We heard from six delegations and staff brought forward two reports with one recommendation.

I voted in favour of the amended recommendations in Report 24-018 on Academic Staff for 2024 to 2025 back for approval. The academic staffing plan is the first step of the annual budgetary process and represents over 60% of the total operating budget. The staffing timelines are established in collective agreements and are based on timelines necessary to plan timetables and assign teachers for the upcoming school year. These recommendations were carried as amended.

The plan includes school-based and centrally assigned positions. The total proposed budget for academic staffing is $621 million which provides for 5,025.66 full-time equivalent (FTE) teacher positions.

Previously staff brought forward this report for discussion to the board of Trustees at the Committee of the Whole Budget on February 20, 2024. Since the discussion, staff consulted with the community to gather feedback and made minor adjustments based on the items highlighted in the tables to correct a double count of discretionary academic staff.

The plan includes an estimated number of teaching staff in elementary and secondary schools with adjustments for the double count which can be found in the below table:

This proposed budget for the academic staffing includes increases due to a projected modest enrolment growth, and new school openings. This now accounts for an addition of 15.06 discretionary academic staff positions outlined in the table below and has been adjusted to remove the double count of discretionary positions. The increases in the academic staffing plan are not a significant change from previous years.

During the discussion, one amendment with numerous sub-amendments was brought forward for discussion. The original amendment proposed was:

  • THAT the Addendum, and Appendix Report 24-018 be revised to reflect the additional allocation of 1.0 FTE resource to support students who identify as Muslim.

During the discussion of this amendment, a sub-amendment was brought forward for discussion: 

  • THAT the Addendum, and Appendix B to Report 24-018 be revised to reflect the additional allocation of 1.0 FTE resource to support students who identify as Muslim and Arab identifying and/or Arabic-speaking students.

I voted against the sub-amendment. I appreciate the spirit of the sub-amendment, but I believe that both Muslim and Arabic students deserve two separate FTEs to address their unique lived experiences. Two separate FTEs can also widen our support and help address the intersectionality of students. The sub-amendment carried.

During the discussion two friendly amendments were proposed to the sub-amendment, amendments are shown in order of presentation:

  • THAT the Addendum, and Appendix B to Report 24-018 be revised to reflect that the additional allocation commitment of 1.0 FTE resource to support students who identify as Muslim and Arab identifying and/or Arabic speaking students.

  • THAT Report 24-018 be revised to reflect that the commitment of 1.0 FTE resource to support students who identify as Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab identifying and/or Arabic speaking students.

During the discussion of this amendment, a sub-amendment was brought forward for discussion: 

  • THAT Report 24-018 be revised to reflect that the commitment of 1.0 2.0 FTE resources to support students who identify as Palestinian, Muslim, Arab and/or Arabic speaking students.

I voted in favour of the sub-amendment. I believe this shows that we are providing much-needed support for the community and with two positions we will be able to support the intersectionality amongst students. We heard from delegations that there is a clear need for these positions to support our community.  

I voted in favour of the revised amendment:

  • THAT Report 24-018 be revised to reflect that the commitment of 2.0 FTE resources to support students who identify as Palestinian, Muslim, Arab and/or Arabic speaking students.

The amendment was carried.

During the discussion, an additional amendment was brought forward, and I voted against the amendment:

  • THAT Report 24-018 be amended to increase the vice principal allocation by 2.0 FTE to be distributed as 0.5 FTE in the remaining four elementary schools which are highest on the RAISE Index and do not have a VP allocation ($263,701.33).

I appreciate the intent of the mover of this motion. Still, I felt this motion would restrict our ability to adjust non-academic staffing further into the budgetary process such as Educational Assistants or Social Workers. I believe that additional Vice Principal allocations are not needed in the RAISE schools right now. The amendment failed.

Key links

  • Video for the Committee of the Whole on March 19, 2024

  • Agenda for the Committee of the Whole on March 19, 2024

Cathryne Milburn

By day I am passionate about diversity, inclusion, and communications. By night I am passionate about education, student well-being, and student achievement.

https://cathrynemilburn.com/
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