The Aspen View Public School Division's board of trustees held their regular meeting June 21 at the division office.
One of items discussed during the meeting was Policy 33, which covered Sexual Orientation and Gender Identify, which Superintendent Mark Francis asked to have rescinded, and replaced with a new Policy 33, which would cover Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Environments.
Francis said the changes are the result of new provincial legislation.
"On April 1, the government passed Bill 24, titled An Act to Support Gay Straight Alliances," he said. "It amended a number of sections to the School Act, which required school authorities to establish, implement and maintain a policy respecting obligations to provide students and staff members with welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments."
He said while the previous policy dealt strictly with Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), the new one follows Bill 24 to the letter.
"The former policy would be incorporated into Administrative Procedure (AP) 159, called Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity," Francis continued. "The new policy would rescind AP 350 – Student Responsibilities, AP 355 – Student Conduct and Discipline, and AP 160 – Safe and Secure School Environments. Due to the new policy, all three would be combined into a new AP 355, which would be entitled Student Code of Conduct and Discipline."
First reading on rescinding the previous Policy 33 was moved by trustee Nancy Sand, and this was passed unanimously. Second reading was moved by trustee April Bauer, and this one was also passed.
"Normally, you would need to do first and second reading in two separate meetings if it represents a significant change in policy, and in this case it would," Francis said. "But the exception to the rule is when first reading is passed unanimously, which in this case it was. And this allowed the rescinding motion to have both readings done at the same meeting."
Bauer also moved to pass first reading of the new Policy 33, which was passed unanimously. Second reading was moved by trustee Donna Cherniwchan, and it also passed unanimously.
Under the provincial legislation, the board had until June 30 to implement the changes.
Tender awarded for sports fields around new Edwin Parr Composite School
The board also awarded the tender to construct the sports fields around the new Edwin Parr Composite (EPC) school being constructed.
In a motion made by trustee Anne Karczmarczyk was passed unanimously, which awarded the contract to Clark Builders out of Edmonton.
"The recommendation to pick the bid from Clark Builders was made by project manager Dan Chisholm," secretary-treasurer Amber Oko said. "The bid from Wilco Contractors did have the lowest price, but it also included a contingency for fill at a unit price of $39 per cubic metre, and that did not follow the bid package. because additional fill is required to be included in the proposal "
Oko said a total of three bids were received.
"Clark Builders came in at a total of $1,153,795," she said. "Wilco was at $941,515, while CTC Construction had the most expensive price, at $1,171,103. Furthermore, CTC's bid included a French drain system with land bridges, as well as bioswales around each field that would break up the green space and limit functionality."
Bioswales are defined as landscape elements designed to concentrate or remove debris and pollution out of surface runoff water. Each one would consist of a drainage course with gently sloped sides and filled with vegetation, compost and/or riprap.
The motion also took out the walking track, as it was determined they do not have the funds yet to put one in.
"If we get more funding later on, we could come back to Clark Builders and say we would add that in," Francis said.
