Board News: December 13, 2022

December 12, 2022

Agenda

Superintendent’s Reports

Trustee Recognitions

The Board of Education recognized two outgoing trustees for their service. On behalf of the Board, Trustee Marnie Wilson shared thoughts about former Trustee Rod Ross, who has been the longest serving trustee in the District’s history, and former Trustee Suzanne Perreault. Wilson explained how Ross has been instrumental in helping develop the Langley School District Foundation and the District’s IDEA Summit among other projects. Wilson also shared comments in honour of former Trustee Suzanne Perreault, and mentioned Perreault’s work in bringing forward many board motions impacting students, including barrier-free spaces in schools, feminine hygiene products in schools, and Indigenous cultural training for trustees as some examples. The Board presented both Ross and Perreault with gifts to show their appreciation and thank them for their service.

The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Please note, there was a short recess after this portion of the meeting, which has been edited out of the recorded version of the meeting.

Strategic Plan 2023-2026 Development

Superintendent Mal Gill presented on the development of the Strategic Plan. He told the Board the plan is developed in cycles and a new one is expected to be created with this new Board. He described the role of the Board in this process. He outlined the three main themes of the Strategic Plan: Educational Priorities, Community Partnerships, and Operational Priorities. He reminded the Board of the District’s vision which helps guide the Strategic Plan. Educational goals include intellectual development, human social development, and careers development. The District’s work in the community includes examples such as the partnership with the RCMP’s School Liaison Officer program and the work with the Foundry Langley. He talked about the Operations work including facility updates, potential new schools, and Human Resources related initiatives, such as staff wellness. Gill outlined the strategic plan development timeline. He shared transition data (grad rates/completion rates) with the Board to reinforce how the current plan is working and recommended to stay the course with similar strategies. He closed the presentation with a recent success story – a video of HD Stafford Middle School’s band, which has recently been recognized in a CBC Music competition.
Please note the livestream portion of the HD Stafford Middle School band did not have functional audio. The audio has been edited into the recorded version of the meeting.

Recommendation: That the Board of Education receives the report on the development of the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan for information, as presented.

The Board approves the report as presented. The video above will begin on this agenda item.

Student and Family Affordability Fund

Assistant Superintendent Marcello Moino provided an overview of the Student and Family Affordability Fund. He told the Board the District’s share of the one-time provincial grant was $2.1 million with the funds going to support school-connected food, fees, and supplies, with a focus on food insecurity. He said there was a District guiding coalition committee involved in the planning. He outlined the partners, groups, and agencies that were consulted and received funding, including the Langley School District Foundation and Sources Langley Food Bank, among other organizations. He explained the distribution of funds to schools and the data used to determine the funds allotted. He noted that decisions on how funds are used are being made at the school level to ensure that the staff who know the families best ensure they are supported appropriately. These funds could pay for transportation, grocery gift cards, school fees, and grad attire among other things. Moino talked about two more categories in the plan: central capital for equipment and central contingency.

Recommendation: That the Board of Education receives the report on the Student and Family Affordability Fund for information, as presented.

The Board approves the report as presented. The video above will begin on this agenda item.

Amended District Calendar 2022-2023

Superintendent Mal Gill gave the background on the reason for the need to amend the District Calendar. As he told the Board, the proposed changes resulting in reduced hours and instructional time stems from the addition of the National Day of Mourning to mark the Queen’s funeral which occurred in September.

Recommendation: That the Board of Education approves the amended District Calendar for 2022-2023 as presented.