CSAP ready for the school year

When the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) approved its budget of $100,335,000 for this fiscal year, it said there would be 32 new positions at the CSAP in September.

This, according to a CSAP media release, means a grand total of 861 positions serving Acadian and Francophone students and families across Nova Scotia. The budget saw the creation of several new positions in CSAP schools.

“Among other things, the CSAP will expand the services of School and Community Development Officers to all CSAP schools with the creation of 10 new elementary school positions,” the Francophone board had said at the time the budget was approved. “Currently, 11 school and community development officers work at the

CSAP in high school high schools. This role will facilitate the implementation of our dual mandate.”

All CSAP elementary schools will continue to have access to the Read-Write Preventive Intervention Program. This program allows Grade 1 students with reading difficulties to obtain more specialized support.

The province of Nova Scotia contributes the majority of the school board funding, with the remainder from the federal government, school-generated funds and other projects managed by the CSAP.

“This year, the province of Nova Scotia has increased its overall budget for pre-K to 12 education by $44 million,” the CSAP said, the sixth consecutive year of increased investment, it said. “We want to equip our students with the tools and supports they need to succeed. The adoption of this new budget will allow us to continue working towards the fulfillment of all our students.”

MORE SERVICES FOR FAMILIES

Families of the CSAP will also have more support this school year to access the Nova Scotia Pre-Kindergarten program – Growing up in French through the Pre-School and After-School Care Program and pre-kindergarten school transportation .

School transportation will be available to pre-kindergarten children eligible for 14 CSAP locations in September. The service will be phased-in province-wide over the next two years.

The local sites in the tri-county region that will have access to transportation include JosephDugas School and schools in Belleville, Wedgeport and West Pubnico.

The CSAP says this brings a change to the courtesy service formerly offered. Children enrolled

in the Growing Up in French program will now have access to school transportation starting Sept. 4 and will not have to wait until the end of October for this service.

Families can find details of their children’s bus routes by visiting the CSAP’s BusPlanner website.

“We want to equip our students with the tools and supports they need to succeed.”

CSAP