Peggy Revell
A preliminary budget, as well as discussion on the formation of an ethics committee and code of conduct, were some of the many things looked at during the monthly meeting of the Northwest Catholic District School Board last night.
The board was presented with a very preliminary budget for 2009-10 by Finance manager Seija Van Haesendonck.
At this stage in the process, reserve funds would be required to completely cover all costs, but Haesendonck noted the figures being used to calculate revenues are conservative.
As well, Grant for Student (GSN) figures have yet to be released. The preliminary budget also does not include Educational Program and Others (EPO) grants that are expected, but handed out by the Ministry of Education throughout the school year.
New business for the board last night included discussing the creation of an ethics committee/organization as well as an organization-wide code of conduct for trustees.
“I think it would be good for the board to have an ethics committee,” said Dryden trustee Robert van Oort, who brought forward an example of an ethics policy the Dufferin Peel Catholic Board has established for its trustees.
While the provincial government is in the process of looking into establishing trustee codes of conducts, van Oort noted whatever is put into place by the province would be minimal, at most, and that the board should take the lead and work towards establish its own policies.
“I don’t think we should be waiting for the government to be telling us what we’re doing,” he argued, encouraging the board to be proactive.
Noting the Education Act does prevent trustees from serving if they’ve been indicted for a criminal offence, board vice-chair John Borst of Dryden expressed reservations about acting at this time, citing the cost and feasibility of a small board like the NCDSB at taking on such a large project.
“It would be extraordinarily expensive to vet this through lawyers,” he remarked, adding that perhaps it was something that could be established in conjunction with other organizations such as the Ontario Public School Boards Association.
Fort Frances trustee Harold Huntley suggested such a code of conduct, and guidelines for an ethics committee, would be more feasible—and carry more authority—if they were established through provincial or national channels, such as through the Canadian Catholic Schools Trustees’ Association.
The board passed a motion to defer the creation of an ethics committee and organization-wide code of conduct for the time being
Also last night, the board’s monthly Recognition of Excellence was presented to Lana Anderson, a Grade 8 student at Sacred Heart School in Sioux Lookout, for her many years of academic achievement, volunteerism, and involvement in the Catholic community.
