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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFND-014-03 ClocJ!Jgron REPORT FINANCE DEPARTMENT Meeting: Date: Report #: FND-014-03 File#: Fp-J-- By-law #: Subject: EDUCATION FUNDING FORMULA Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1. THAT Report FND-014-03 be received; and 2. THAT the correspondence from the Municipality of Trent Hills entitled Response to School Accommodation report be received for information. Submitted by: Reviewed bYO ~~ Franklin Wu, Chief Administrative Officer. NT/hjl 1304 REPORT NO.: FND-014-03 PAGE 2 BACKGROUND AND COMMENT: 1.0 At the Council meeting of March 17, 2003, correspondence item 0-18 from the Municipality of Trent Hills (Attachment "A") was referred to staff. The Municipality of Trent Hills was requesting the Province of Ontario to change its funding formula for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board from urban status to rural status and provide adequate funding to keep rural schools open and ensure busing service to those schools. 2.0 Staff have contacted the school board to request clarification on this issue. A response was received from Mr. Bob Alllison, Superintendent of Business Services and Treasurer (Attachment "B") 3.0 As indicated in the letter from the school board, there is no 'rural school board' category in legislation. The rural communities funding that is being proposed is detailed in the attachment to Mr. Allison's letter and is supported by the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. RECOMMENDATION 4.0 It is recommended that the correspondence received from the Municipality of Trent Hills be received for information as this issue is being appropriately addressed by the Board. They are aggressively pursuing all opportunities for funding. Attachments: Attachment "A" - Correspondence from Municipality of Trent Hill Attachment "B" - Correspondence from Kawartha Pineridge District School Board CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON 40 TEMPERANCE STREET. BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T (905)623-3379 F (905)623-4169 13G5 I1~ 18:12 FAX i05 653 5203 MUN OF TRENT HILLS Attachment "A" ., The Council of the Municipality of Trent Hills, at their meeting held on February 17, 2003, passed the fOllowing resolution for which your suPPOrt is requested. RESPONSE TO SCHOO~CCOMMODA nON REPORT, October, 2002 WHEREAS the KPR Board of Education jurisdiction is composed Primarily of a rural sparsely populated area; AND WHEREAS a great percentage of the Board's students have to be bused to ~chool; AND WHEREAS in many cases these buses travel great distances to complete their runs . translating into great cOsJSin tenns of studenl time on the road, fuel and operation of buses, and the environment; AND WHEREAS KPR and the Province of Ontario are closing schools and consolidating the student population in a few centres; , ,,--, AND WHEREAS this' atnoh would impact students and their families detriInentalIy (socially, emotionally, .financiallY); AND WHEREAScl6smg 6J rotal scho61s will. detract from the existing high quality of life that our rura1conunUnil:i!=,s~oy; : AND WHEREAS the PrOvince of Ontario is investing (with Partners) considerable finances for the Early Yea~s togiy;e stud~tl;a.hea1thy gart. to life and better preparation for school entry; , ,.l .,'. AND WHEREAS ll;lllQ.Ycommu.nitieshave started (and will continue to expand) breakfast programs at locations near the s<ihoi:JIs for needy students to help them cope with already long dayS; AND WHEREAS th~.l?rovincialGovernment states it is in suPPOrt of economic develQPment and growth in its rural areas;_.. . . AND 'WHEREASt.qeGQvemmmt has contributed significant sums of money to -B,ural}Qb Strategy and SuperBuild projects in the interest of job creation and economic development;' , AND WHEREAS itis.a known fu.ct: that a good school in a .coIlUllunity is a ~y ekment in attracting residents, servic:es,a:tid.~conomic development; . ',. . ,.."-"., ','- .....; <:"",'; AND WHEREAS murticipalities are actively endeavouring to promote economic development; TIiEREFORE be it: resolved that the Council of the Municipality of Trent Hills requests the Province of Ontario to . change, its . fun~;1.l~ formuJa for KPR from urban to rural status and prpv:ide adeqllll.tf! funding to. keep rura.l s,Chools open and ensure bUSing service to those schools; , ,.' . . . ,- -'C",' .: ' ._ .. _, <, ".., ND FURTHER, that this resolution be forwarded to the KPR Board of Education, and all lower and pper tier municipalities in the Board's jurisdiction for their consideration and sUPPort; . FURTIiER, that letters of suPPOrt be forwarded to MPP's responsible for the KPR jurisdiction. -- " " -----.---''''.c..- '--:O'C';;~" -.....,.: - --"'--,.--"-' 13'J6 "CARRlED" 51~ ~ KAWAR'THA PINE PlOy!'!: DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD Trustee!;: A.gela 1.J.."d (C&~irptr.ron) j"-0I1~yCOjjil1 (Vi/'t-choiptrs(11/) EritlBmlll1 Qm!lnI GJldwi,rr J acqm:lillt G"rvrdtt Ra.rt'KihlC)' DiQ/lrT..../fI)ld [)()}I.M.!1tbI!JII.r Chrir!"phc1' Nr:/..lw) Ro..Y 1[7I!foIJ.'1, .r l!t:Jllum KMntk (Stlld(!I/lTm,r/tC) I!;DUC.ATION Cl:iiNTRE 1.9.94 Fifh(!rO".it)!' Po. Ih' 719 PC'trrbomugh.. Onfal'10 [(9J 7Al 1705j 742-9773 N877) 74/-4571 Pax, (705j 7-1<"7801 W'i:6.ritr..' Ulww'/..'Jlr.edu..on.cn Dim",,. of J::ducatiot'l.' H (Dickl T: M.rowm'Y Attachment "B" 15 May 2003 Nancy Taylor Director of Finance Municipality of Clarington 40 Temperance Street Bowrnanville, ON L 1 C 3A6 Dear Nancy Taylor With respect to the Municipality of Trent Hills request for support in designating the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board as a rural school board', attached is a copy of the Govemment's recent press release regarding rural and remote communities. Also attached is Recommendation #15 of the Education Equality Task Force, which is supported fully by our Board, Currently, there is no "rural school board" category in legislation, Dr. Rozanski's recommendation addresses the Municipality of Trent Hills issues. Sincerely R.A. Allison Superintendent of Business Services and Treasurer Attachments 13D7 ~ Jeff Sprang <jsprang@opsba.org> on 05101/200303:37:55 PM -,.._~...-"" To: Jeff Sprang <japrang@opsba.org> cc: Subject: Eves government appoints advisor on education in rural ana remote communities Provincial Government News Release Eves government appoints advisor on education in rural and remote communities May 1, 2003 TORONTO - Elizabeth Witmer, Deputy Premier and Minister of Education, today announced that Dr. James Downey, former University of Waterloo President, bas been appointed to provide the government with recommendations on the development of the $50 million strategy to help small rural and northern schooh. "Our government is committed to ensuring that all students have equal access to a quality education acros.~ the province,"said Witmer. "With his background, Dr. Downey will be able to provide Otlr govemment with advice on how to strengthen schools in small rural and remote communities. " Dr. Downey has been president of three universities: Carleton University in Ottawa, the University of New Brunswick and, more recently, the University of Waterloo. He is currently Professor of English and Director of the Centre for the Advancement of Co-operative Education at the University of Waterloo. In the early 1990's, Dr. Downey co-chaired New Brunswick's Commission on Excellence in Education, which published two repolts that guided education reforms .in that province. In his role as the Minister's Advisor on a rural education strategy, he will: · Consult witb education partners and other community leaders in rural and northern areas on the role and future of the local community school; · Lead research into best practices in other jurisdictions to support small schools in single-school communities; · Review Ministry gu.ideljnes and board practices on schqol closures to ensure that local decisions are open and accountable, as rcquircd under the Education Act; · Identify school boards that need additional suppon to operate small schools in single-school communities; and, 1308 '- . Develop recommendations, using the student-focused funding formula, to distribute the $50 mil!.ion allocated yearly for the rural education strategy to school boards. Dr. Downey will submit his report to the Minister in June 2003 so that action can be taken before the start of the new school year. His recommendations will be based .on the principles of fairness and stability of the funding formula and will respect the constitutional framework for education in Ontario, which includes public, Catholic, English- and French-language school boards. HI look forward to consulting with as many interested people as time will allow,"said Dr. Downey, "and T will do my best tQ provide the gavernment with sound advice about how to provide students in rural and north.ern schaals with the best educational opportunities possible." As part of its response ta the Rozanski report, the government announced in March that it will provide $50 million in new ongoing funding, starting in September 2003, for the rural education strategy. In addition, eligible school boards willreceivc $19 million to help address highcr costs in small rural and northern schools. 13J9 ~ l.N = ,. Education Eauality Task Force Recommendations that Projected Provincial Funding Impact Potential Impact on KPR 15. Ille Ministry of Education allocate EETF estimate that core-support funding tor core-support tunding through the small schools in single-school Geographic Circumstances GranIto communities will cast $50 million. school boa rds that have decided to keep open a small school ill a single- schooi community and that, under the updated Foundation and Special Pu rpose Grallts (thai is. updated as described in recommendation 1). do not have an average school size that is sufficient to generate tunding tor core-support staff for Ihal smali $chool, and turther, that the core- support funding cover the following: . a full.time principal and secretary for each elementary and secondary school . a fuli-time support staff person for each elementary and secondary school to ensure a safe. clean, and well-maintained school, an d . a full-time individual in a secondary school to provide advice on Gareers and post secondary education to secondary school students and advice to Grade 8 students an secondary sella oj place ments 16. the Ministry of Education extend the EETF estimate that extending the duration of duration of the Declining Enrolment the Declining Enrolment Adjustment Adjuslment 10 Ihree years will COSI $5 million.