Pembina Hills trustees passed a motion during their March 23 meeting to allocate $1.442 million from the Co-op Pool towards a variety of programs, such as training more candidates to take over as school principals and funding FNMI (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) liaisons.
Trustees heard that during a recent planning session, school administrators within Pembina Hills reviewed programs that help achieve the division’s strategic priorities.
Normally, these items would be approved alongside the Co-op Pool budget, but the provincial budget — which normally comes down in March — has been late this year.
The 2016-2017 Co-op Pool won’t be approved until April 27, which will delay planning around these programs. As such, it came to the board earlier than usual.
The board approved transferring $916,175 out of the Co-op Pool reserve, which would be coupled with an additional $541,775 from 2015-2016 instruction funds.
The largest portion of the Co-op Pool funding — a total of $340,000 — is going towards “re-defining” the roles of the division’s three Collaborative Lead Teachers (CLTs).
Secretary-treasurer Tracy Meunier said the three CLTs provide “at-elbow” support for teachers, working with them in the classroom on various priorities.
This year, their job description is being changed. putting more focus on literacy/numeracy and appointing one of the CLTs to the position of lead co-ordinator.
An additional $50,000 is also slotted to pay for subs when teachers need to be pulled out of classrooms to work with the CLTs.
Another $103,500 is going towards building school leadership. Supt. Colleen Symyrozum-Watt said they are trying to establish more experienced leaders in their buildings so that when they have to advertise for someone to take over the role of principal, they have candidates in-house.
Symyrozum-Watt said they will always advertise outside of the division for qualified candidates, but those don’t always step forward.
A total of $114,675 is going to maintain the division’s high school completion liaisons. High school liaisons work with students who have been identified as potentially slipping through the cracks of the system and who need intervention to complete Grade 12.
An additional $200,000 is going to fund literacy supports and resources, including ERI (Early Reading Intervention) and LLI (Levelled Literacy Intervention).
As well, $80,000 will be used to implement initiatives from the communications strategy, which was presented to the Pembina Hills board earlier this year.
Another $135,500 is slotted towards mental health capacity building: implementing supports for students and classrooms with special needs, and hiring discretionary subs.
A total of $132,400 is going to fund FNMI liasons, with an additional $10,000 for “building cultural awareness.”
Finally, $10,500 is going towards a contracted position around high school redesign, and another $8,500 is being contributed to the “Growing Opportunties” Career Expo that is held annually between Barrhead and Westlock. It is being coupled with funding from Barrhead Composite High School and R.F. Staples.
Trustee Jackie Comeau said she was very impressed with all these initiatives, adding that they all demonstrate some “real out-of-the-box thinking.”
Symyrozum-Watt thanked the board for their support of these programs. “We will learn a lot in this coming year,” she added.
