Board News: Tuesday April 30, 2019
April 30, 2019
The Regular Meeting of the Langley Board of Education will be streamed live beginning at 7:00pm. A link to the video feed will be posted here in Board News just prior to the start of the meeting.
Presentations
Langley School District Foundation Annual Report
Susan Cairns, Executive Director of the Langley School District Foundation, gave an overview of its mission, events, and funding initiatives. The Foundation has about $3.7 million in investments and cash budget. It raised about 1.5 million dollars and dispersed $900,00 to support students and programs. It has a number of initiatives including healthy meals programs and garden towers in schools around the District. Events throughout the year include the West Fine Art Show, Langley International Film Festival (LIFF), IDEA SUMMIT and IDEAX, as well as the annual Grand Prix Gala. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Delegation
Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured
Brian Martins, with the New Westminster and District Labour Council, gave a presentation about the National Day of Mourning which takes place every year on April 28. The day is to highlight and commemorate workers who’ve been injured or killed on the job. As part of the acknowledgment, it is customary to have flags flown at half-mast as well as a moment of silence at 11:00 am. He explained how the labour community uses it as a time to push for worker’s rights and safety with the hopes of reducing the number of deaths, especially among young workers who are particularly vulnerable. The council is calling for stronger laws and to raise awareness of this cause in the school community. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Superintendent’s Report
Strategic Plan 2019-2022
Superintendent Gord Stewart presented the Strategic Plan which acts a road map complete with action items for the District to implement and spans over the next four years. He noted that 26 consultation meetings were held and a lot of feedback from partner groups was collected as part of the process to come up with this plan. Stewart gave an overview of the following categories: District’s Vision, Athletics Vision, Educational Opportunities, Community Partnerships, Finance and Facilities Planning, and Human Resources. One of the action items under Educational Opportunities includes increasing literacy in order to help increase grad rates. Career opportunities and a focus on a technology plan were other education related action items. Under Community Partnerships, communicating and conducting consultation is a priority. In relation to Finance and Facilities planning, Stewart explained capital projects that were completed, in the process of being completed, or expected in the future. He highlighted a need to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Education in order to fulfill these capital project goals. Under Human Resources, he touched on recruitment strategies, building capacity in our teacher mentorship program, and sharing stories that celebrate our staff. After questions and discussion, the Board approved the Strategic Plan 2019-2022 as presented. The video above will begin on this agenda item. The Strategic Plan will be posted on our District website at a later date.
School Calendars 2019/2020
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Barry Bunyan presented the proposed school calendars for 2019-2020. He noted there is a distinction between the District calendars which were passed earlier this month. These calendars are more detailed and reflect individual schools opposed to the District as a whole. He explained typically there are 187 days in a school year (seven of which are non-instructional, three are pro-D, one is administrative day, two for report card preparation, and one for a school improvement day). The calendars proposed are in compliance with calendar regulations and the collective agreement. After questions and discussion, the Board approved the School Calendars for the 2019-2020 school year as presented. The video above will begin on this agenda item.
Secretary Treasurer’s Report
Action Items
Please take note, due to technical difficulties, the visuals for first few minutes of the video above is not visible.
Financial Update
Secretary Treasurer Brian Iseli presented a financial update for the month of March. Revenues are in line with last year at about 70% of the budget which is $143 million in revenue for this year. He noted the breakdown of salaries, benefits, and supplies for the District as well as the surplus. The video above will begin on this agenda item.