Revelstokemountaineer.com presents our notes from the School Board No. 19 Revelstoke monthly meeting agenda.
Federal COVID-19 grant helps district implement school safety plans
A majority of COVID-19-related funding received through a Federal Safe Return to Class Grant went to educational program delivery, with the remainder going to custodial staff to implement school safety plans, Secretary Treasurer Bruce Tisdale wrote in a report to the Board of Education.
“[A]pproximately 90 per cent of the total funds has been allocated to staffing with 80 per cent of the funds towards educational program delivery and the rest toward custodial staff in order for them to implement the school safety plans,” Tisdale said in the report.
School District 19 Revelstoke will receive a total of $354,892 in funding from the grant with half of the money already received in September 2020 and the remainder to be issued in January 2021.
Some areas the funding went to include increasing the number of full-time equivalent teachers in schools to support additional cohorts needed to ensure student safety, and the purchase of fogger/sprayers for all school district sites and on buses to increase disinfecting levels in the district as well as staff confidence in site safety.
A grant report notes remaining funds will be applied towards the projected increase in cleaning supplies and a curtain for the Revelstoke Secondary School gym to separate cohort groups.
More details on how funds from this grant are being spent can be viewed here, starting on page 34.
COVID related updates from School District 19 can be viewed here.
Facility report: Increasing enrolment not enough to require significant changes
Enrolment in Revelstoke schools is forecast to increase slightly over the next decade, but that change won’t be big enough to require significant changes to schools, according to a long term facility plan report.
“At this time, it is observed that Revelstoke is well served with its existing schools and support facilities,” Doug Stewart stated in the report.
According to the report, enrolment in Revelstoke has remained consistent at between 950 and 1,050 students over the last 10 years with current year full time equivalent enrolment reported at 1,012.75.
The report also notes Revelstoke schools are in good condition and well maintained through a well managed program using AFG and ministry capital funding. The district has also built up a capital reserve via proceeds from the sale of properties including Big Eddy Elementary, Mount Begbie Elementary and portions of Mountain View Elementary.
A report for the Revelstoke Board of Education prepared by School District 19 Secretary Treasurer Bruce Tisdale says under the B.C. Ministry of Education’s capital plan, Boards of Education are required to have a long-range facilities plan in place outlining management strategies for inventory of capital assets in support of educational programming goals. The plans outline management strategies for capital asset inventories and help guide board of education decisions regarding capital asset management and capital plan submissions. The five-year capital plan approved by the Board earlier this year included a request for funding an expansion of Begbie View Elementary School.
Read the full report here, starting on page 17.
Revisions to SOGI policy reflect new terminology
The district’s Policy Review Committee has made revisions to the district’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policy (SOGI) to reflect new language and terminology. The committee is asking the Board of Education to circulate the revised policy as per the district’s development and review policy.
The Revelstoke Board of Education meets Wednesday, November 18, at 5 p.m.
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