ETSB optimistic heading into the new year

With an increase in enrollment for the fifth straight year, The Eastern Townships School Board started off the 2018-19 school year on a high note.

“We are so optimistic right now. Anything is possible,” said Chairman Mike Murray, during Tuesday evening’s council of commissioners meeting.

Since Tuesday’s meeting was the first since summer break, most of the advisory committees have yet to meet.

The meeting began with a heated opening question period.

Parent Mike Pezzi brought a substantial list of issues to the table following the denial of a request made last year to have his son’s bus stop in front of his house rather than have him walk on the shoulder of a ministerial route to a designated stop.

Pezzi first pointed out that he believed the minutes of the May 22 meeting he had attended didn’t accurately reflect the question period, pointing to a question he had asked which was omitted.

Chairman Murray said that the overall spirit of the conversation was retained, and the question Pezzi was referring to was considered a rhetorical ‘throw away’ question, that had followed responses that Pezzi found dissatisfactory.

Pezzi was then invited to repeat the question and was offered a full response on record.

Pezzi asked if he should, believing that the ETSB does not care about the safety of its students, continue to pay his taxes to the board or switch and pay to the French board.

Murray replied that Pezzi has the right to pay school taxes to the board of his choice, and he should make that choice based on how he feels.

Pezzi also took issue with the resolution presented at the May meeting, which rejected his request to have the stretch of road in front of his home declared a safety risk so that his son would be entitled to at-home pickup.

After raising several points about the language in the resolution, that Pezzi described as inaccurate (the shoulder of the road was referred to as a cycle lane/pedestrian lane), Murray interjected.

“Are you going to pick apart every line of the resolution?” Murray asked.

Given his level of dissatisfaction, Murray suggested that Pezzi meet with his local commissioner and discuss the issue in greater detail. The discussion could then be brought back to council to discuss in an advisory committee.

Pezzi then changed his line of questioning, asking if the board were aware that teachers, staff and schools felt uncomfortable approaching the board with problems.

Murray firmly pointed out that there are several internal avenues available to ETSB staffs that have concerns to address. He then reminded Pezzi that he was not an ETSB teacher or staff member, and therefore not in a position to bring questions to the board on their behalf. Murray deemed the question ‘un-receivable.’

Pezzi took a final jab, asking if the board felt that they listen to the concerns of parents, at which point he was declared out of order.

“You don’t listen to your parents,” Pezzi said, as he retreated to his seat.

The first order of business when the meeting resumed was the delegation of power to the Assistant Director General by the council of commissioners.

Director General Kandy Mackey is currently on compassionate leave.

The board then approved the appointments filing a number of vacant positions.

Steve Dunn was appointed Director of the New Horizons Adult Education Centre.

Stéphane Hamel was appointed as the ETSB’S new Techno-pedagogical Coordinator.

Mark Warnholtz was officially appointed Vice-principal 100 per cent at Alexander Galt High School, a position he held previously on an interim basis.

Tania Journeau was appointed Viceprincipal 50 per cent at Massey-vanier High School.

Donald Landry, already employed by neighbouring boards in the same position, has been appointed to the role of Regional Information Security officer.

The board adopted a resolution on Tuesday evening to modify the composition of the governing board of Sutton Elementary School.

Because the school has fewer than 60 students, the principal and chair of the governing board requested that the number of parent participants be reduced from five to three.

The new composition of the board will include three parents, and three staff representatives.

St. Francis Elementary School has named its newly renovated playground.

The board approved and endorsed the dedication; its new name will be Parcécole Peter Taylor Playground, after a former student, employee and St. Francis volunteer.

With three electric busses currently driving ETSB bus routes, the paperwork has begun to add a forth to the fleet. Transportation committee presented a resolution for financial aid for another electric bus for the next school year.

Urgent repairs were approved for the basement of Sunnyside Elementary School following a sewer backup during the summer.

In other reports, Murray pointed out the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) currently has no executive director, and the president, Jennifer Maccarone, has recently stepped down in order to run as a candidate in the upcoming provincial election.

“The election just got started, and education is one of the primary topics,” Murray said.

During closing question period, Appalachian Teachers’ Association President Megan Seline asked the board what the guidelines were related to ratio of students to principals.

Murray explained that there are norms in place and the number depends on the school and programs available. The general rule that the ETSB follows for the elementary sector, according to Murray, is usually 200 students to warrant a full-time principal, although there are occasions when there is a principal hired full-time for less students