Press Release
The Ministry of Education is performing operational reviews of the 72 district school boards across the province.
Composed of external consultants from Deloitte & Touche LLP and Ministry of Education staff, the Operational Review Team conducted the review over a three-day period in January.
Four functional areas were reviewed: governance and school board administration, financial management, human resources management and school staffing/allocation, and school operations and facilities management.
The purpose was to assess the extent to which the school board has implemented the leading practices set out in the “Operational Review Guide for Ontario School Boards.”
The review found the Rainy River District School Board is well-managed. Noted strengths included a clearly-articulated system plan for student success, effective budget management, and a strong and aligned leadership team that communicates effectively and shares a common vision.
It also found management proactively monitors student enrolment and staffing levels, and implements effective fiscal policy in an environment of declining enrolment.
The report highlights a number of leading practices established by the board, and makes recommendations for key opportunities for improvement.
The board is noted for key leading practices in governance and school board administration. Two, in particular, are noted from the report:
•“The school board has adopted a governance structure that clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of the board of trustees and the senior administration team of the school board;” and
•“The school board’s governance model is further supported by a positive relationship between the director and the trustees. This positive relationship promotes an open dialogue and contributes to an effective decision-making process.”
Board chairman Dan Belluz was involved in the thorough review and stated he was pleased with the outcome as it confirms his belief that this board is functioning as expected in the Education Act.
“Our trustees understand their role and work together to ensure that the Rainy River District School Board has the appropriate policies to enhance student success,” Belluz said.
“This review confirms our actions and encourages us to continue to support our staff in our desire to improve learning outcomes for students.”
One area of improvement from the report was that the board should consider consolidating the business functions (such as human resources, finance, and facilities) into the board system plan.
This will enable the departments to link their respective operational plans to the annual plan, and align operational goals with an overarching strategic direction.
Belluz welcomed the recommendations for improvement.
“We see that there are recommendations for improvement, and we will review our policies and support our staff in an effort to become a stronger organization,” he pledged.
The Operational Review Team highlighted that the trustees receive interim financial reports that provide comparisons of actual to budget, and to appropriate benchmarks with variance explanations, as a strong and a leading practice in the province.
“This operational review by the ministry demonstrates that management and the trustees are working together to ensure the organization supports your child’s learning,” Belluz said.
This is the third audit the Rainy River District School Board has undergone in a three-year period, volunteering to pilot the first operational review two years ago.
The board also requested that it be one of the first transportation reviews, receiving, as a result, an additional $200,000 annually to meet transportation needs.
The latest review reinforces the excellent work between the trustees and staff of the Rainy River District School Board, which is culminating in great opportunities for its learners.
The board report from the operational review can be found on the board’s website at www.rrdsb.com
The final report from the ministry will be posted upon receipt.
