Newsletter: February 2024
Hello!
I hope this message finds you well. It is hard to believe we are already one month into 2024! I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some consultation opportunities, some information on the upcoming budget, and meetings for the Board of Trustees in February:
The Revised Estimates were presented during the Committee of the Whole, Budget on January 30. The revised estimates help to inform future financial planning and decision-making. The key changes from the estimates include the impact of enrolment increases, increased staff replacement costs, and increased costs for contracts such as snow removal. The revised estimates require staff to find at least $500,000 in savings to arrive at a balanced budget, potentially more if the board elects to replenish the reserves. If you would like to share your priorities for the 2024 to 2025 budget please reach out to me via email or contact form.
The First Annual Public Report from the Office of Human Rights and Equity Advisor came in front of the Board of Trustees for discussion. The Office of Human Rights and Equity Advisor is an arm’s-length office committed to promoting and protecting the human rights of students, families, staff, and the broader school community. This report highlights the work the office has done since its inception three years ago. During the reporting, 17 system-level recommendations were made which aim to identify barriers contributing to systemic discrimination and make recommendations to remove these barriers. This report was well received by the Board of Trustees and is expected to come to the Board of Trustees as it was clear that more discussion was needed around the table. If you have any comments or questions about the report you can reach out to me via email or contact form.
The Education Development Charges By-law has come up for renewal. This By-law provides the board with a source of funding for growth-related education land costs and costs to acquire and prepare school sites to accommodate the growing community and future students. To prepare for updating the by-law, a background study and a page with additional information have been made available. Comments are being received until March 5, 2024, when the proposed By-law comes in front of the Board of Trustees for approval. If you have any comments or questions you can reach out to me via email or contact form or you can submit comments to the team here.
At the end of January Trustees, Directors of Education, Supervisory Officers, Student Trustees, and others attended the Ontario Public School Board Association’s Public Education Symposium. This is an opportunity for education stakeholders across Ontario to connect, share best practices on student-centered governance, and lobby for more education funding in Ontario.
Want to hear what was discussed at previous board meetings? Make sure to check out the updates on my website for my personal summary of the meetings. You can also view any of the previous Committee of the Whole and Board Meetings on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board YouTube channel here.
Want to know how I voted during board and committee meetings? Make sure to check out my voting record.
Make sure to check out the Board Calendar to see the meetings for Trustees in February. Please note, the meetings are subject to change.
Tuesday, February 6: Committee of the Whole
Wednesday, February 7: Special Education Advisory Council
Thursday, February 8: Ad Hoc Policy Committee
Wednesday, February 14: Parent Involvement Committee
Thursday, February 15: Indigenous Education Council
Tuesday, February 20: Committee of the Whole, Budget
Wednesday, February 21: Audit Committee
Monday, February 26: Alternative Schools Advisory Committee
Tuesday, February 27: Board Meeting
Thursday, February 29: Advisory Committee on Equity
If you have any additional information you would like me to share in my newsletter, let me know via email or contact form.
Cathryne Milburn
Trustee for Zone 12 (Orléans West-Innes and Beacon-Hill Cyrville)
Vice Chair for the Board of Trustees
Please note that this is not an official newsletter of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. This is a newsletter by Cathryne Milburn and opinions expressed here are entirely her own. They do not reflect an official position of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board or the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board of Trustees.
