HALIFAX REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD REGULAR BOARD MEETING MINUTES March 30, 2016 6:00 p.m. A Regular Board Meeting was held this date in the Board Chambers, 33 Spectacle Lake Drive, Dartmouth, NS. PRESENT: Melinda Daye Nancy Jakeman Cindy Littlefair Christy Linders Gin Yee Steve Warburton Bridget Ann Boutilier Dave Wright Sheryl Blumenthal-Harrison Denise Bell, Regional Education Officer Micci Davy, Student Advisor Shaye MacEachern, Student Advisor REGRETS: Pamela Glode-Desrochers STAFF: Elwin LeRoux, Superintendent Lance Bullock, Senior Staff Advisor Natascha Joncas, Acting Corporate Secretary Terri Thompson, Director, Financial Services Doug Hadley, Coordinator, Communications Tracy O’Kroneg, Director, Human Resource Services Ron Heiman, Director, Operations Services Alison King, Director, Program Sandy MacDougall, Leader, Technology Integration Mario Eleftheros, Leader, Technology Integration Wendy Mackey, Senior Diversity Advisor Trevor Baker, Manager, VoIP & Network Infrastructure Athena Leclair, Administrative Assistant to the Corporate Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. 2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Melinda Daye, Board Chair amended the agenda to add item 9.5 Clarification of District Names in Application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board and move item 11.2 Focus on Learning: Using Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning to 3.1. It was moved and seconded (Daye/Boutilier) that the Governing Board approve the amended agenda. (CARRIED) Bridget Boutilier asked to amend the agenda to add Letter to the Honourable Minister Karen Casey as item 9.6. It was moved and seconded (Boutilier/Jakeman) that the Governing Board approve the amended agenda. (CARRIED) 3. AWARDS / PRESENTATIONS 3.1 Report #2016-03-12 - Focus on Learning: Using Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning, Alison King, Director, Program, Sandy MacDougall and Mario Eleftheros, Leaders, Technology Integration Sandy MacDougall and Mario Eleftheros, Leaders, Technology Integration presented the report and responded to the Governing Board’s questions. 4. CHAIR’S REPORT Melinda Daye, Chair, presented the Chair’s report. A copy of the report is filed with the minutes. 5. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT Elwin LeRoux, Superintendent, presented the Superintendent’s Report. A copy of the report is filed with the minutes. 6. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS There were no public presentations. 7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES/BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES It was moved and seconded (Warburton/Yee) that the minutes/business arising from the minutes of the February 24, 2016 Regular Board Meetings be approved. (CARRIED) 8. CORRESPONDENCE 8.1 Letter dated February 24, 2016 to the Honourable Karen Casey, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development requesting an extension to the current deadline regarding the list of potential capital projects from the Halifax Regional School Board for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. The letter was shared with the Governing Board. 9. ITEMS FOR DECISION 9.1 Report #2015-10-41 - Recommendation to Review - Cole Harbour District High School Family of Schools, Ron Heiman, Director, Operations It was moved and seconded (Wright/Yee) that the Governing Board direct staff to initiate a review of the following schools within the Cole Harbour District High Family of Schools:         Cole Harbour District High Ross Road School Sir Robert Borden Junior High Atlantic View Elementary Colonel John Stuart Elementary George Bissett Elementary Nelson Whynder Elementary Robert Kemp Turner Elementary It is recommended that the Governing Board direct the superintendent to establish a School Options Committee to complete the review following the provincial School Review Policy. It is recommended that the Governing Board approve the Terms of Reference for this review as being those included in Appendix B. (DEFEATED) It was moved and seconded (Jakeman/Boutilier) that the Governing Board direct the Superintendent to submit a new report at the September 2016 regular board meeting that includes a revised mandate for a school review. (WITHDRAWN) Board Member Yee requested that the first motion be withdrawn and bring forward the following motion: Board Member Jakeman requested to waive Notice of Motion and provided the following motion: It was moved and seconded (Jakeman/Boutilier) that the Governing Board mandate the Superintendent to submit a new report (with additional information and updated timelines and including Auburn Drive Family of Schools and with Cole Harbour High Family of Schools) in September 2016. (CARRIED) The Chair called for a 10 minutes recess. 9.2 Bylaw Amendments – Sections 1 to 4 Board Member Yee proposed an amendment to Section 4.2(e) as it is contrary to the Education Act and its Regulations. Section 4.2(e) should read: (…) a majority 2/3 vote of all members of the school board. It was moved and seconded (Yee/Wright) that the Governing Board approve the Bylaw Amendments – Sections 1 to 4 as amended. (CARRIED) 9.3 Report #2016-02-06 - Halifax Regional School Board Capital Construction Projects 2017-2018, Ron Heiman, Director, Operations It was moved and seconded (Blumenthal-Harrison/Yee) that the Governing Board amend the School Capital Construction Project Considerations 2017-2018 to include J.L. Ilsley listed as a New School or Addition and Alteration. (DEFEATED) DISTRICT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 African Nova Scotian RECORDED VOTE BOARD MEMBER NAME YES x Bridget Boutilier Nancy Jakeman x Gin Yee Cindy Littlefair Christy Linders Sheryl Blumenthal-Harrison Steve Warburton Dave Wright Melinda Daye NO x x x x x x x ABSENT Mi’kmaq x Pamela Glode-Desrochers It was moved and seconded (Boutilier/Yee) that the Governing Board amend the School Capital Construction Project Considerations 2017-2018 to include Eastern Shore District High listed as a New School or Addition and Alteration. (CARRIED) DISTRICT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 African Nova Scotian Mi’kmaq RECORDED VOTE BOARD MEMBER NAME YES x Bridget Boutilier x Nancy Jakeman x Gin Yee x Cindy Littlefair Christy Linders Sheryl Blumenthal-Harrison Steve Warburton Dave Wright Melinda Daye NO ABSENT x x x x x Pamela Glode-Desrochers x It was moved and seconded (Yee/Linders) that the Governing Board approve the School Capital Construction Project Considerations 2017-2018 as amended and direct staff to forward it to EECD staff in response to the Minister’s request. (CARRIED) 9.4 Board Chair Melinda Daye provided the following notice of motion: I move that the Governing Board request the Superintendent provide a report at the May Regular Board Meeting regarding student suspension data within the Halifax Regional School Board for the first semester of the 2015-2016 school year. It was moved and seconded (Daye/Blumenthal-Harrison) that the Superintendent provide a report at the May Regular Board Meeting regarding student suspension data within the Halifax Regional School Board for the first semester of the 20152016 school year. (CARRIED) 9.5 Report #2016-03-14 Clarification of District Names in Application to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, Elwin LeRoux, Superintendent It was moved and seconded (Yee/Wright) that the Governing Board direct the Superintendent to confirm with Mr. McPherson that the intended names for HRSB Electoral District 2 & 3 are as follows: District 2 Dartmouth South – Eastern Passage – Cole Harbour – Westphal District 3 Dartmouth Centre – Harbourview – Burnside – Dartmouth East (CARRIED) 9.6 Letter to the Honourable Karen Casey. It was moved and seconded (Boutilier/Yee) that the Governing Board write a second letter to the Honourable Karen Casey, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development with regards to the status of the site selection decision for the Eastern District P-12 school. (CARRIED) Student Advisors were excused at this time. 10. COMMITTEE REPORTS 10.1 Audit Committee Board Member Nancy Jakeman indicated there was nothing to report at this time. 10.2 Policy Development and Review Committee Board Member Christy Linders provided an update from the March 9, 2016 Policy Development and Review Committee meeting. 10.2.1 C.009 Administration of Medication to Students by School Personnel Policy It was moved and seconded (Linders/Jakeman) that the Governing Board approve the C.009 Administration of Medication to Students by School Personnel Policy as presented. (CARRIED) 10.3 Nova Scotia School Boards Association Board Member Dave Wright provided an update on the Nova Scotia School Boards Association. 10.3.1 NSSBA Resolutions It was moved and seconded (Linders/Wright) that the Governing Board put forward the following resolution: WHEREAS the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has created a new school review process that includes a methodical data-based analysis of the existing school facilities in each Board (the Long Term Outlook) and an extensive community-based consultative planning model (driven by School Options Committees), And WHEREAS the current process for accessing capital funding is not integrated well into that school review process and that leads to a lack of available information that is crucial for Boards to use in making decisions necessary for their long term planning, And WHEREAS in these challenging financial times it is imperative that we make the best and most well-informed choices regarding the use of our financial resources BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development create a more transparent and predictable multi-year capital funding process that can be used in tandem with the school review process to allow Boards to make prudent decisions about facility management with more complete knowledge of the capital investments that will be available to them in the near future. (CARRIED) 10.3.2 Hector Montgomery Award Steve Warburton nominated Dave Wright. Dave Wright accepted the nomination. Nancy Jakeman nominated Bridget Boutilier. Bridget Boutilier accepted the nomination. It was moved and seconded (Yee/Wright) that the Governing Board nominate Bridget Boutilier for the Hector Montgomery Award. (CARRIED) 10.3.3 Election of NSSBA Representatives 10.3.3.1 Board of Director Member Steve Warburton nominated Dave Wright. Dave Wright accepted the nomination. 10.3.3.2 Alternate Board of Director Member Cindy Littlefair nominated Christy Linders. Christy Linders accepted the nomination. 10.3.3.3 Resolution Committee Member It was decided that Melinda Daye would continue as the Resolution Committee Member. 10.3.3.4 Nominations Committee Member It was decided that Melinda Daye would continue as the Nominations Committee Member. 10.3.3.5 Executive Board Member Melinda Daye nominated Dave Wright for the position of vice president. Dave Wright accepted the nomination. It was moved and seconded (Boutilier/Jakeman) that the Governing Board nominate the following Board Members as NSSBA Representatives: Dave Wright as Board of Director Member, Christy Linders as Alternate Board of Director Member, and Dave Wright as Vice President. (CARRIED) 10.4 Ad Hoc Governance Committee Board Member Cindy Littlefair provided an update from the Ad Hoc Governance Committee. 10.5 Ad Hoc Bylaws Committee Board Member Nancy Jakeman provided an update from the Ad Hoc Bylaws Committee. 11. INFORMATION ITEMS 11.1 Report #2016-02-08 - Occupational Health & Safety – Update, Tracy O’Kroneg, Director, Human Resource Services and John Swales, Manager, Occupational Health & Safety Tracy O’Kroneg, Director, Human Resource Services presented the report and responded to the Governing Board’s questions. 11.2 Report #2016-03-12 - Focus on Learning: Using Technology to Enhance Teaching and Learning, Alison King, Director, Program, Sandy MacDougall and Mario Eleftheros, Leaders, Technology Integration This item was moved to item 3.1. 11.3 #2016-03-13 – Focus on Learning: Provincial Assessment Results for Grades 8 and 10, Alison King, Director, Program Alison King, Director, Program presented the report and responded to the Governing Board’s questions. Nancy Jakeman was excused at 10:03 p.m. 12. NOTICE OF MOTION 12.1 Bylaw Amendments – Section 5 to 7 Bylaw Amendments were provided and will be voted on at the April 27, 2016 meeting. 13. DATES OF NEXT MEETINGS Audit Committee Meeting – April 13, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. Policy Development and Review Committee – April 13, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. Regular Board Meeting – April 27, 2016 The Chair called for a 10 minutes recess. 14. IN-CAMERA It was moved and seconded (Yee/Blumenthal-Harrison) to move in-camera. (CARRIED) 14.1 Approval of February 24, 2016 In-Camera Minutes 14.2 Banking Tender, Terri Thompson, Director, Financial Services It was moved and seconded (Yee/Boutilier) to move out of in-camera. (CARRIED) It was moved and seconded (Blumenthal-Harrison/Boutilier) that the minutes/business arising from the February 24, 2016 In-Camera session be approved. (CARRIED) It was moved and seconded (Linders/Littlefair) that the Governing Board approve a six month extension for the HRSB to the current agreement between all Boards and the Bank of Montreal to be effective April 1, 2016 to September 30, 2016. (CARRIED) It was moved and seconded (Wright/Boutilier) that the Governing Board approve the awarding of the contract for the Nova Scotia School Boards RFP for Banking Services for the 8 Nova Scotia School Boards to CIBC, and agree to enter into a banking agreement with CIBC for the five year period beginning October 1, 2016. (CARRIED) 15. ADJOURNMENT It was moved and seconded (Yee/Linders) that the meeting be adjourned. (CARRIED) Meeting adjourned by the Governing Board at 10:35 p.m. ____________________________ Melinda Daye Chair Halifax Regional School Board ___________________________________ Natascha Joncas Acting Corporate Secretary Prepared by Athena Leclair Administrative Assistant to the Corporate Secretary