Staff
A slew of financial business is on tap for tonight’s meeting of the Rainy River District School Board as it receives 2008-09 audited financial statements.
Scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Robert Moore School, the board is slated to approve the statements which reflect their financial position as of Aug. 31, 2009—including ending the year in a balanced position, with surplus funds transferred to reserves.
Surplus funds of $2.2 million were transferred to the board’s working funds reserve while $515,359 was transferred to its capital reserve.
This surplus is due to an increase in grants and other revenues coupled with a decrease in overall expenditures.
Also tonight, the board is expected to approve revised estimates to its 2009/10 budget, including an increase of $1,251,307.
This increase comes from Oct. 31, 2009 enrolment, benefit increase over budget, capital initiatives now known and funded, an increase in Education Program Office (EPO) grants, and School Budget Surplus Carryover from 2008/09.
As per recommendations from the year-end audit, the board also is set to approve motions to make allocations that represent how reserve funds will be used in the future.
This will include a motion to create a specific reserve for the new consolidated Fort Frances School (at the Robert Moore site) for high-tech classrooms in the amount of $267,000 from the classroom reserve.
The board also is likely to approve the creation of a “Student Achievement Reserve” of $2,517,000 from the classroom reserve of $1,350,000, and “Working Fund Reserves” of $1,167,000 for initiatives including SMART equipment, Aboriginal Immersion Lead, Student Achievement Coach, Internal Audit Assistant, Assistive Technology Support, and Secondary Coaches.
Also on tonight’s agenda is a presentation on “Informing Classroom Practice” on how the board analyzes data when it comes to student achievement.
The board’s Effective Schools Leader, Sylvia Parker, also will be giving a presentation on the “Schools in the Middle” program, which focuses on improving results for the province’s EQAO tests.
The board also will present the “Natural Helpers Program” at Fort Frances High School with this month’s recognition of excellence.
