Policy Review: May 15, 2025
The Policy Review meeting for the Ottawa-Carleton District School took place on May 15, 2025. Staff brought forward 3 reports with 1 recommendation for discussion.
I voted in favour of the recommendations in Report 25-029, Rescission of Policy P.054 HS Workplace Safety Insurance Act. The policy at hand was developed in 1998 and revisited 5 years later as part of the cyclical policy review. The policy has not been reviewed and changes were not necessary since 2003. As of today, all school boards in Ontario are legally obligated to comply with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act which renders this policy redundant since the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has not gone beyond any legislated requirements. The recommendations were carried.
Staff brought forward Report 25-019, Revisions to Policy P.135 Community Use of Schools for discussion. This policy supports the use of District facilities for the City of Ottawa and communities to promote the concept of Community Schools which refer to educational institutions that prioritize collaboration with families, community members, and local organizations to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for all. This policy was updated in October 2007 and is now considered outdated. The revisions in the policy include clarifying timelines, clarifying phrasing, language to reflect the District’s responsibility for allocating facilities, and removing clauses which are not reflected in District practices. During the discussion, I asked the following questions (timestamp 14:20):
Question: Do we have any criteria for grounds of denying an application for the Community Use of Schools that do not align with the District’s values?
Answer: The procedure refers to a preference of order that we accept the use of Community Schools, and there is an outline of the preference of what we allow schools to be used for in the procedure.
Consultation on the proposed revised policy will be open on the EngageOCDSB platform until Monday, June 9. After the consultation period, the revised policy will be brought back to the Policy Review Committee for final decision.
Staff brought forward Report 25-032, Proposed Merger of Policy P.046.SCO Distribution of Material to Home via Students and Policy P.115.COM Advertising for discussion. The proposed merger of the policy ensures that communication materials distributed in schools comply with relevant legislation and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board policies and procedures, and support student achievement and a sense of belonging. The revisions in the policy include updating the policy template, including different communications materials, deleting unclear language, and highlighting the major types of communication materials distributed in schools. Consultation on the proposed revised policy will be open on the EngageOCDSB platform until Sunday, June 15. After the consultation period, the revised policy will be brought back to the Policy Review Committee for final decision.
Please note, that the opinions expressed here are entirely my own and do not reflect an official position of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board or the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board of Trustees. Please note answers from staff are paraphrased, the recording can be found here if you would like to watch the entire meeting. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me using my contact form here.
Key links
Video for the Policy Review Meeting on May 15, 2025
Agenda for the Policy Review Meeting on May 15, 2025
Report 25-029, Rescission of Policy P.054 HS Workplace Safety Insurance Act
Report 25-019, Revisions to Policy P.135 Community Use of Schools
Appendix A, Revised Policy
Report 25-032, Proposed Merger of Policy P.046.SCO - Distribution of Material to Home via Students and Policy P.115.COM - Advertising
Appendix A, Revised Policy
