November 20, 2009 update to “Budget Challenge 2010”: review of materials from November 18th meeting
November 20, 2009
The main gym at Sutherland Secondary became a “World Café” on Wednesday, November 18th as more than 250 parents, staff and volunteer facilitators gathered to discuss public ideas for school district restructuring to meet a $10 million budget challenge over the next three years. Participants discussed options for five key areas of NVSD operations: Instructional Practice, Program Diversity, Community Connections and District Infrastructure, Facilities and Information and Communications Technology in an informal event that encouraged diverse opinions and the sharing of insight.
The “World Café” process was roundly praised by participants, who valued the openness and respectful tone the meeting inspired. The high quality of facilitation was appreciated and the opportunity to “meet others with a shared sense of purpose” was noted as being a highlight of the evening. Feedback also indicated a willingness to review information in advance, through our website. The Board will work to provide advance information before the final meeting in December.
If you are interested in commenting on the restructuring options that were presented at the meeting of November 18, please review the document below and send your input to: budgetchallenge2010@nvsd44.bc.ca
Question: Consider these restructuring options that have been provided to date through public input. Is each option too little, just right, or too much? Which of the options presented gives you the greatest concern? What other restructuring options would you suggest for this area?
Input received by November 23rd will be considered in preparation for the final meeting in the series at:
7 p.m. December 1, 2009: William E. Lucas Centre, 2132 Hamilton Avenue (note the change in location from previous postings).
Further updates will be posted prior to the meeting.
Options/ideas from the public reviewed on November 18, 2009 (All $ values are approximate)
Finance and Facilities chair’s presentation, November 18, 2009
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November 16, 2009
On behalf of the Board of Education for the North Vancouver School District, we would like to share with you the attached summary (below) of recent public input we received for consideration in light of the current and longer-term financial challenges we face.
The Board is committed to a process of openness and engagement in preparing to plan its budgets for the next three years. To maintain a transparent procedure, we also feel it is essential to report back to the community what we have heard through the process.
To do this in a manageable way, we have collected the input from the October 20th meeting and online submissions. The input is not verbatim, rather it is organized into the predominant themes and comments that emerged from this initial phase of the process.
It is important to recognize that this is public input only. It in no way indicates a plan or course of action by the Board. The Board will not make any significant budget-related decisions until the Public Board Meeting of December 8th.
The Board is committed to producing balanced budgets, as required by law through the School Act. We recognize that to do this, restructuring through fiscal restraint is inevitable. Difficult decisions will have to be made. Some services will have to be reduced, or provided in a different way. However, we believe that overall, the majority of our services are sustainable and the diversity and quality of our programming is secure.
In the meantime, we are preparing for two more public meetings to improve public understanding of the budget situation:
November 18, 2009 at 7 p.m.: Sutherland Secondary, 1860 Sutherland Avenue. World Café discussion of restructuring options for consideration under the five themes of: Instructional Practice; Program Diversity; Community Connections; Facilities and District Infrastructure; and Information and Communications Technology.
December 1, 2009 at 7 p.m.: Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre, 810 West 21st Street. Reviewing the restructuring options and providing indications of support.
We welcome your participation in these meetings and appreciate your interest in these important discussions.
Sincerely,
NORTH VANCOUVER
BOARD OF EDUCATION
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NORTH VANCOUVER
BOARD OF EDUCATION
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Franci Stratton
Chair, Finance &
Facilities Committee and
Vice chairperson |
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Susan Skinner
Chairperson |
Instructional Practice Summary
Community Connections Summary
Program Diversity Summary
Facilities Summary
ICT Summary
October 26, 2009
The North Vancouver School District needs an additional $10 million over the next three years to maintain programs, supports and services to students. Budgets that optimize the delivery of mandated services and promote the diversity of supplementary programs and services will be essential.
The public is welcome to participate in a series of three informative discussions that will help inform subsequent budget and priority planning. The first meeting was held on October 20th at Highlands Elementary and reviewed mandatory and optional services as well as prioritizing to support our Vision through Instructional Practice, Program Diversity, Community Connections, Facilities and Information and Information & Communication Technology.
Two more meetings are planned in the series:
7 p.m. November 18, 2009: Sutherland Secondary, 1860 Sutherland Avenue. World Café: “How do we continue to support student achievement and program diversity?”
7 p.m. December 1, 2009: Leo Marshall Curriculum Centre, 810 West 21st Street. Reviewing the service delivery options and arriving at recommendations.
If you are interested in participating, but cannot attend a meeting, please consider the questions in this document and send your input to: budgetchallenge2010@nvsd44.bc.ca
Future discussion notes, information, and progress through the series will be posted here.
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