THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF SCHOOL DISTRICT 68

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING

R20/10/28-

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

6:00 P.m. - 9:00 P.m.

ONLINE MICROSOFT TEAMS MEETING

Trustees

• C. McKay, Chair
• L.M. Barron, Vice Chair
• T. Brzovic
• S. Higginson
• G. Keller
• B. Robinson
• C. O'Neill
• J. Stanley
• E. Wilkinson

Staff

• S. Saywell, Superintendent/CEO
• M. Walsh, Secretary-Treasurer
• T. Davie, Deputy Superintendent
• D. Burgos, Ex. Dir. of Communications
• K. Matthews, Manager Admin. Services

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

The Chair will call the meeting to order. With great respect and humility, we acknowledge and honour the lands of the Snuneymuxw people. The Snuneymuxw people maintain their profound, unique and spiritual connection to the land through ageless traditions, teachings, stewardship and expressions of reciprocity.

The Chair called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm.

2.

TRANSFER OF ITEMS TO OPEN MEETING AGENDA

There were none.

3.

ADDITIONS

Request from the Boys and Girls Club of Vancouver Island for a letter of Support be added as Item 15.1

4.

DELETIONS

There were no deletions.

5.

CHANGE IN ORDER

There was no change in order. 

6.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

• R20/10/28-01

  That the Agenda be approved.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

7.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

7.1

Minutes - September 23, 2020

• R20/10/28-02
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee O'Neill
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Wilkinson

  That the minutes from the Regular Board meeting held on September 23, 2020, be adopted.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

7.2

Minutes - September 30, 2020

• R20/10/28-03
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Barron
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee O'Neill

  That the minutes from the Special Board meeting held on September 30, 2020, be adopted.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

8.

SECTION 72(3) REPORT

8.1

Section 72(3) Report - September 23, 2020

• R20/10/28-04
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Brzovic
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee O'Neill

  That the Section 72(3) Report from the Closed Board meeting on September 23, 2020, be received.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

8.2

Section 72(3) Report - September 30, 2020

• R20/10/28-05
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee O'Neill
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Barron

  That the Section 72(3) Report from the Special Closed Board meeting on September 30, 2020, be received.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

9.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REMINDERS

Education Committee Meeting: November 4, 2020

Statutory Holiday: Remembrance Day - November 11, 2020 

Business Committee Meeting: November 18, 2020

Board of Education Meeting: November 25, 2020

 

10.

PRESENTATIONS

11.

CORRESPONDENCE

11.1

Krista Simpson, Chair Great Nanaimo Toy Drive

Re: The Great Nanaimo Toy Drive and NLPS

• R20/10/28-06
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Brzovic
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee O'Neill

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) refer the correspondence from Krista Simpson to staff for response.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

11.2

A. Pounds

Re: Student Barriers

• R20/10/28-07
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Keller
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Wilkinson

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) refer the correspondence from A. Pounds to staff for response.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

12.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

12.1

Business Committee

12.1.1

New Child Care Spaces Application

• R20/10/28-08
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Keller
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Higginson

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) direct staff to apply for the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund through the Ministry of Children and Families for funding childcare expansion for up to five school sites.

   

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

12.1.2

Draft Policy 1.5 - Environmental Stewardship Policy

• R20/10/28-09
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Keller
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Stanley

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) adopt Environmental Stewardship as Policy 1.5

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

12.1.3

Draft Policy 2.7 - Policy Development and Draft Policy 2.17 - Public Participation

• R20/10/28-10
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Keller
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee O'Neill

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) receive the Draft Updated Policy 2.7 - Policy Development and circulate as a notice of motion for 30 days, utilizing the consultation process as per Board Governance, Section 1, 2.7 – Policy Development.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
• R20/10/28-11
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Keller
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee O'Neill

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) receive the Draft Policy 2.17 – Public Participation and circulate as a notice of motion for 30 days, utilizing the consultation process as per Board Governance, Section 1, 2.7 – Policy Development.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

12.2

Education Committee

12.2.1

Correspondence from the NDTA re: FSA

• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Brzovic
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Stanley

  That the Board of Education support parents' right to free and informed consent regarding their child's participation in the Foundation Skills Assessment through the direction to Principals to not contact parents in response to the withdrawal of their child from the Foundational Skills Assessment (for the school year 2020/21).

   

   
• R20/10/28-12
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Keller
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Stanley

  That the motion be tabled to seek Legal Advice.

  OPPOSED: Trustees O'Neill, Higginson, McKay, Wilkinson, Robinson 

  DEFEATED
• R20/10/28-13
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Barron
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Brzovic

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) seek an external legal opinion to advise if the proposed motion would put the Board at risk.

  OPPOSED: Trustees McKay, Wilkinson, Robinson, Higginson, O'Neill, Brzovic

  DEFEATED
• R20/10/28-14
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Barron
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Stanley

  Motion to Amend:

  That the Board of Education support parents and guardians' right to free and informed consent regarding their child's participation in the Foundation Skills Assessment through the direction to Principals to not contact parents in response to the withdrawal of their child from the Foundation Skills Assessment (for the school year 2020/21).

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
• R20/10/28-15

  On the motion as amended:

  That the Board of Education support parents' right to free and informed consent regarding their child's participation in the Foundation Skills Assessment through the direction to Principals to not contact parents in response to the withdrawal of their child from the Foundational Skills Assessment (for the school year 2020/21).

  OPPOSED: Trustees Higginson, McKay, Wilkinson, Robinson

  CARRIED
• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Stanley
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Barron

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) refer the correspondence from the NDTA re FSA to the Board Chair for response. 
• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Higginson
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Wilkinson

  Motion to Amend: That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) refer the correspondence from the NDTA re FSA to the Board Chair for response and request that future correspondence on the FSA's refrain from referring to the FSA's as tests or exams.

  It was determined that this motion be a separate motion.
• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Barron
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Keller

  Motion to Amend:

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) request that future correspondence on FSA's are referred to as assessments.

  OPPOSED: Trustees Higginson, Robinson, Stanley, O'Neill, Brzovic, McKay

  DEFEATED
• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Stanley
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee O'Neill

  That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) refer this matter to the Education Committee pending discussion at the TTLC meeting.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

13.

SENIOR STAFF REPORTS

13.1

Superintendent Scott Saywell

Re: District Review Story 

Superintendent Scott Saywell shared the District Review Story which included presentations from Mike Lundine, Principal of Rock City Elementary, Andrea Davidson, Principal of Wellington Secondary and the Department of Learning Services.  Additional presentations from the Departments of Human Resources, Facilities, Finance and IT will be presented during the November Education Committee meeting. 

• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Stanley
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Higginson

  Motion to extend the meeting to 9:15 pm.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
• IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee Higginson
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Stanley

  That this item be referred to the next Education Committee meeting for further discussion.

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

13.2

Secretary-Treasurer Mark Walsh

Re: Draft 2021-2022 Budget Timeline

This item was deferred to the November Business Committee meeting. 

14.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

15.

NEW BUSINESS

15.1

Chair McKay

Re: Request from the Boys and Girls Club of Vancouver Island for a letter of support

• R20/10/28-14
  IT WAS MOVED BY Trustee O'Neill
  IT WAS SECONDED BY Trustee Brzovic

  ^{That the Board of Education of School District No. 68 (Nanaimo-Ladysmith) write a letter of support to the Boys and Girls Club of Central Vancouver Island with respect to their application for Child Care Spaces Funding.}

  CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

16.

FOR INFORMATION

16.1

Vandalism Report

The Vandalism Report was received as information.

16.2

Board Motions Report

The Board Motions Report was received as information. 

16.3

Trustee Liaison Committee Reports

The Trustee Committee Reports were received as information. 

17.

QUESTION PERIOD

Question Period is intended to enable the public to obtain clarifying information regarding a current agenda item.

Individuals wishing to ask questions of the Board upon completion of Committee and Board sessions shall do so in writing on the form provided which includes their name, street address and email address.  The individual will be asked to verify his/her self and be afforded the opportunity to read out their own question.  Each individual shall be limited to one follow-up question upon receiving a response. Forms are available in the information rack near the entrance of the Board Room.

If the meeting is being held online, individuals wishing to ask questions of the Board shall type their question in the Q&A compose box on the right side of the screen and then select send. Your question will be read by the Board or Committee Chair.

Questions and responses will be included in the video of the meeting and the meeting minutes and will be part of the public record.

 

There was one question from Lisa Cordasco: What further action will occur as a result of Item 11.2, the letter from Angela Pounds.  The response to this question will be posted on the district website under correspondence.

18.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 9:03 pm.

• R20/10/28-15

  That the meeting be adjourned.