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| Shelley Laskin, Trustee
Toronto District School Board
Ward 8: Eglinton-Lawrence & Toronto-St Paul's
416-395-8787
Shelley.Laskin@tdsb.on.ca
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| March Break - Monday, March 11 through Friday, March 15
Schools will be closed. Enjoy the Break!
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In this Issue -- Greek Heritage Month
- March Days of Significanc
- Update Re: Free Transit for Field Trip for Toronto Student
- Pride Month 2024 T-Shirt Design Contes
- Budget: Public Engagement Opportunities
- 2024-25 Budget
- Financial Facts: Revenue and Expenditure Trends March 2024
- OPSBA Update - Bill 98 Regulations and Bill C-63, the Online Harms Ac
- Committee and Board Meetings This Week
- Op Ed re Childcare in Schools
- Combatting Hate – In Schools; In Communitie
- New Invitations - Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Session #2 Special Education & Inclusion; Building Mathematical Minds (Part 2) - March 6 at 6:30; Breaking Down Barriers To Mental Health in Black Communities with Trey Anthony - Community, Caregivers, Staff and Students (Gr. 7-12) - March 7 from 6-7: Level Up Middle School Engineering Science Fair; Summer Company Grant; Identify 'N Impact Award
- Worth Repeating - Excellence Awards! OPSBA Awards; Measles; Need for Aquatic Instructors; Please Keep Safe... and Keep Others Safe; Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline; Useful Links; 2023-2024 Calendar; 2024-2025 Calendar; Dogs Are Not Allowed On School Property - How to Report; Community Safety & Support
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Greek Heritage Month
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is proud to recognize Greek Heritage Month during the month of March. It has been celebrated across the school board since March 2015 when a motion was carried by at our Board of Trustees meeting. This heritage is also celebrated within the Province of Ontario because of the Hellenic Heritage Month Act, 2019 that was passed.
During the month of March, several activities will be shared to mark GHM. The theme for this year is: “Greek Thought and Civilization: From Myth to Logos”
«Eλληνική Σκέψη και Πολιτισμός: Από τον Μύθο στον Λόγο»
GHM 2024 Calendar of Daily Activities.
- Join us on Friday, March 22 for a Social Event at Floga Restaurant: GHM Social Event
- Join us on Sunday, April 7 at 1:30 p.m. for the Greek Independence Day Parade on the Danforth (meet at 15 Phin Avenue at 1 p.m.).
- Join us for the GHM Closing Event on Saturday, April 13th at the Greek Community Centre at 30 Thorncliffe Park Drive from 1 to 3 p.m.
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March Days of Significance
Trying a new way of informing you of Days of Significance - the first update of each month will include the month's days.
On March 8, International Women's Day will celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It also raises awareness about the ongoing struggle for gender equality and women’s rights across the world. The Government of Canada’s theme for International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 is Invest in women: Accelerate progress. It’s a call to action and a reminder that gender equality is one of the most effective ways to build healthier, more prosperous, and more inclusive communities. It is time to act – because women’s success is everyone’s success.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is on March 21 since declared by the United Nations in 1966. March 31, International Transgender Day of Visibility will celebrate the transgender community and their important contributions to society, while also highlighting the prejudice and discrimination that many continue to face today.
There are many cultural and religious holidays that will be commemorated and observed in March. Muslims around the world will start the holy month of Ramadan with fasting, prayer and reflection starting between March 10 and 11. Please note the Infographic below provided via Yusuf Ibrahim @teachernudge. The Board shares information on the Duty to Accommodate to all staff. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset for 29 or 30 consecutive days. Here is information about Ramadan, and some tips and considerations for meeting our duty to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code and TDSB’s Human Rights Policy (P031).
On March 14, is the celebration of Chet – Sikh New Year. March 21, millions of people will celebrate Nowruz, which symbolizes the beginning of the new year. Purim – a celebration of Jewish deliverance begins at sundown March 23. Holi – a Hindu festival that will be celebrated on March 25 – marks the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil and the unity of people. On March 31, Christians will celebrate Easter Sunday and reflect on hope, rebirth and eternal life.
March is also International Francophonie Month, which celebrates the French language and diversity of French-speaking cultures around the world. To read more about these and other celebrations, please see TDSB's Days of Significance.
Please note the Days of Significance document is not intended to be a listing of days that are marked or celebrated by the Toronto District School Board. The purpose of the document is to identify potential dates that some in our community may personally mark and to make staff aware. Last year, staff began a review of the Days of Significance Calendar to revise the document to better support the system. We anticipate this review to be completed shortly and a revised calendar will be issued once finalized.
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Update Re: Free Transit for Field Trip for Toronto Students
Important progress has been made with regard to providing all Middle and Secondary School students with free public transit for field trips. The TTC Board adopted the following motion on February 22, 2024: That the TTC Board request the Chief Executive Officer to:
- Report back to the TTC Board at or before its May 16, 2024 meeting on the scope of a pilot program for the school year 2024-25 to provide free transit tickets to the four public and separate school boards for Middle School and Secondary School field trips using existing spare capacity, subject to reasonable date, time and location restrictions established by the TTC and to reasonable reporting requirements.
- Engage with School Boards and Get on the Bus to create an education module that develops student skills, confidence, etiquette and fare compliance when riding the TTC, and request that school groups which access the free school trip program complete said training before (or, if necessary, within one month after) their trip.
There is still work to be done and TDSB Transportation staff will continue to work closely with TTC and the City in the weeks and months ahead with further updates being provided when progress is made.
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Pride Month 2024 T-Shirt Design Contest
Pride Month 2024 is just around the corner, and the TDSB Pride Planning Committee is excited to announce the T-Shirt Design Contest. The winning design will be featured on hundreds of TDSB Pride 2024 T-shirts, proudly worn by all members of the TDSB contingent during the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
The TDSB Pride 2024 T-shirt Design Contest is open to all TDSB students of any age. The deadline for design submissions is April 10 at 11:59 p.m.
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Budget: Public Engagement Opportunities
Rewatch Budget Town Halls
You can watch the Town Halls that were recently held here -Tuesday and Wednesday
Public Delegations
We welcome members of the public to bring forward issues and concerns they have through a delegation, which is addressing a committee of the Board of Trustees (by speaking or submitting a written statement). Register to address the Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee on March 26, 2024. Learn more and register here. Please note: the deadline for delegations to be considered is 12 p.m. on Monday, March 25.
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2024-25 Budget
Section 231 of the Education Act requires school boards to adopt a balanced budget. According to the Ministry, “when preparing and adopting budgets (estimates) for the fiscal year (September 1 to August 31), school boards are required to ensure that estimated expenses do not exceed estimated revenues unless any in-year deficit can be covered by accumulated surplus of a prior year and the in-year deficit is less than 1% of the school board’s operating budget.” We begin this year's budget process with a deficit of $34.8M.
At tomorrow's Special FBEC, staff will be presenting School-Based Staff Allocation 2024-2025: Teachers and Support Staff. This report comes forward at this time of year in order for schools to receive their staffing allocation after March break. At that time, Principals can prepare their preliminary school organizations/timetables in order to meet Collective Agreement staffing timelines. School-Based Staff Allocation considers legislative requirements including class size regulations, Collective Agreement provisions and available resources. Please note that the addition of 20 Elementary Vice-Principals and 8 Secondary Vice-Principals which were subsequently approved after the March staffing report last year, as well as any other additional staffing will be considered as part of the March 19, 2024 Options to Balance report.
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Financial Facts: Revenue and Expenditure Trends March 2024
A draft of the 2024 Financial Facts: Revenue and Expenditure Trends report as of March 2024 represents the Toronto District School Board (TDSB)’s financial information for the 5-year period from 2019-20 to 2023-24. It focuses on TDSB’s key expenditure areas and identifies major operating costs. Highlighted on page 4 are the funding gaps in identifiable Ministry benchmarks to the costs incurred by TDSB. The chart (see below) provides gaps in funding of benefits to the current experience of TDSB.
While Long Term Disability (LTDI) and Worker Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) costs continue to rise the Board continues to work to ensure increases are kept to a minimum. However, EI and CPP costs are unavoidable and continue to rise with no additional funding to offset these costs. The total funding gap from 2018-19 to 2022-23 is $48M - we are owed more than our current projected deficit.
Long-Term Disability (LTD) $14.6 M
Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) $(1.7) M
Canada Pension Plan (CPP) $33.4 M
Employment Insurance (EI) $1.8 M
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OPSBA Update
Excerpt
Bill 98 Regulatory Postings
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Education shared information about three new regulatory proposals (memo attached). The first two flow from Bill 98, The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act and are about Integrity Commissioner Qualifications, the Code of Conduct process, and Trustee Honoraria Sanction. Much of our commentary on this has been captured in our initial response to Bill 98 and in subsequent ministry consultations, as well as informal discussions with ministry staff and the Minister of Education’s office.
The other posting is in regards to trustee meeting attendance requirements. The issue of electronic meetings has been something discussed by members with support for flexibility for those trustees who have large geographic areas to cover and weather situations to contend with.
The three regulatory proposal are posted on the Ontario's Regulatory Registry and have a feedback deadline of April 2, 2024. They can be accessed via the links below:
- The Education Act New Regulation: Integrity Commissioner Qualifications & Code of Conduct Complaint Process
- The Education Act Regulation: Trustee Code of Conduct Sanctions - Maximum Reduction of Honoraria
- Proposed Changes to In-person Attendance Requirements for Board and Committee Meetings (Ontario Regulation 463/97)
OPSBA’s Policy Development Work Group will be leading the Association’s response with senior staff preparing drafts for the group to review. REMINDER: the section pertaining to Trustee Code of Conduct within Bill 98 has yet to be proclaimed and is NOT IN FORCE. Boards should continue to follow their established policy and procedures for handling breaches.
This week, the federal government introduced Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, legislation that is to, “combat harmful content online, including the sexual exploitation of children.” OPSBA has connected with the Canadian School Boards Association (CSBA) about coordinating the monitoring of this bill through the legislative stages and any joint response. The bill can be found here: Government Bill (House of Commons) C-63 (44-1) - First Reading - Online Harms Act - Parliament of Canada The federal government issued both a news release and backgrounder. A 2023 Survey of Online Harms in Canada from The Dais at the Toronto Metropolitan University can be found here: Survey of Online Harms in Canada - The Dais.
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Committee and Board Meetings This Week
Special Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee - March 4, 2024 - 4:30 p.m. Boardroom Agenda
Notice Page
- 4.1 SEAC No Cuts to Special Education
- 5.1 ICCAC Community Support Workers
- 6.1 School-Based Staff Allocation 2024-2025 Teachers and Support Staff
- 6.2 Financial Facts Revenue and Expenditures Trends March 2024
- 6.3 Budget Webinars Feedback
Board Meeting - March 6, 2024 - 7:00 p.m. Public Session Boardroom Agenda- 15.1 Schedule of Meetings for Regular Board and Standing Committee Meetings 2024 Revisions
- 16.1 Planning and Priorities Committee, Report No. 2, February 28, 2024
- 16.1 (1) Business Arising: Ontario Public School Boards’ Association Constitutional and Bylaw Amendments Regarding Black Trustees’ Caucus
- 16.1 (2) Toronto Lands Corporation 2022-2023 Annual Report
- 16.1 (3) Toronto Lands Corporation: Disposition of Scarlett Heights Property, 15 Trehorne Drive
- 16.1 (4) Toronto Lands Corporation: Strategy to Address Growth and Intensification: Update
- 16.1 (5) Toronto Lands Corporation: Community Partnership Opportunities to Enhance Sports Fields
- 16.1 (6) Status of Child Care Centres
- 16.1 (7) Business Arising: Building of Child Care Centres
- 16.1 (8) Preliminary Report on the Review of the Legacy Technical and Commercial Boundaries
- 16.1 (9) Ban Ads for Gambling
- 16.2 Governance and Policy Committee, Report No. 2, February 7, 2024
- 16.2 (1) Policy P013, Flexible Working Arrangements, Phase 5
- 16.2 (2) Policy P102, Disconnecting From Work, Phase 5
- 16.3 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee, Report No. 3, February 14, 2024
- 16.3 (1) Contract Awards, Facilities
- 16.3 (2) First Quarter Interim Financial Report: 2023-24
- 16.3 (3) 2022-23 School Budget and School Generated Funds
- 16.3 (4) Student Device (1:1) Program
- 16.3 (5) Potential Areas of Focus to Balance the 2024-25 Budget
- 16.3 (6) Business Arising: Addition of Vice-Principals Allocation and Safety Positions
- 16.3 (7) Business Arising: Requesting Increased and Sustainable Funding for Student Safety in Neighbourhood Improvement Areas for the 2024-2025 Budget and Beyond
- 16.4 Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee (Special Meeting), Report No. 4, March 4, 2024
- 16.5 Program and School Services Committee, Report No. 2, February 21, 2024
- 16.5 (1) Early Years Community Advisory Committee: 2022-2023 Annual Report
- 16.5 (2) Alternative Schools Community Advisory Committee: Obligation to Transparency
- 16.5 (3) Alternative Schools Community Advisory Committee: Projected Enrolment
- 16.5 (4) Inner City Community Advisory Committee: Community Support Workers
- 16.5 (5) Math Achievement Action Plan, Update No. 2: Progress on Professional Learning Actions
- 16.5 (6) Business Arising: Math Achievement Action Plan: Ministry Priorities Funding
- 16.5 (7) Fall 2023 Update on Responding to Incidents of Racism, Bias and Hate
- 16.5 (8) Business Arising: Establishing Provincial Reporting Standards on Incidents of Racism, Bias and Hate
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As school board chairs we have a plan to build more daycare spaces. While child care remains the responsibility of the province and city, our two boards are supportive of a seamless day model for child care services located inside our schools.
By Rachel Chernos Lin and Nancy Crawford Contributors - Toronto Star Op Ed
Sunday, March 3, 2024
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) are committed to building thousands of desperately needed child care spaces — particularly in underserved areas in Scarborough and northwest Toronto — but we need the Ministry of Education to follow through on its end of the bargain.
Recently, there has been a lot of back and forth in the news about who’s responsible for dozens of promised child care projects and we felt it was important to not only set the record straight, but share one possible solution to get shovels in the ground now.
There is a lot of history on this issue. The funding was first committed by the previous provincial government in 2017 and even then, it wasn’t enough. A new provincial government and one global pandemic later, the funding challenges have only gotten worse.
The issue essentially boils down to the ministry committing funding for nearly 50 (28 at the TDSB and 20 at the TCDSB) child care projects, using outdated benchmarks to determine funding, delaying approvals, rising construction costs (beyond our control) and then the ministry refusing to pay the actual costs to build them. Instead, it has repeatedly stalled and left our cash-strapped boards to cover tens of millions of dollars in shortfall.
The ministry will say it has offered additional money — 25 per cent more in fact — and while we appreciate the offer, it doesn’t come close to covering the true costs associated with these projects. As our primary funder, the ministry is well aware this offer is insufficient and both boards have repeatedly told them so.
While child care remains the responsibility of the province and city, our two boards are supportive of a seamless day model for child care services located inside our schools and which serve thousands of working families well each day. Based on Minister Stephen Lecce’s recent public comments, it would appear he is moving away from this model, which is outlined in the ministry's Working Together in Shared Spaces document and in the Ontario Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement — 2021 to 2026. We don’t believe home daycares and other more temporary options are the answer. While they are a needed option within the mixture of child care supports, permanent child care spaces within schools are, by far, the best option for the vast majority of families.
Embedding child care services in schools is the gold standard of child care. A seamless transition from early learning into the broader education system, co-locating child-cares in schools reduces the stress families face when planning for their child’s care, fosters a stronger connection with the school community, and removes the emotional strain associated with finding child care providers close to their child’s school — not to mention the ease of doing one drop-off and one pickup each day.
If the ministry does not have additional money to offer right now — which we understand given the myriad of commitments it has — one possible option is to allow our boards to use the currently offered and committed funding to get started right away on a large number of the nearly 50 projects, all in deeply needed, underserved areas. This would at least enable us to get shovels in the ground immediately and avoid another generation of families going without child care at their local school.
We firmly believe that by addressing these funding shortfalls, or at the very least, allowing boards to use existing funding to build some of these projects, we can better serve families, who year after year are having to search high and low for child care. Many of these projects already have the necessary approvals in place. We just need Ontario to give the green light and our boards can begin moving forward.
By working together with the Ministry of Education and Toronto, we can create a more equitable and efficient child care system that aims to provide every child in Toronto with access to high-quality, integrated child care services co-located in schools. We urge the ministry to work with us to come up with a creative solution that gets spaces built now where they truly belong, in our schools.
Rachel Chernos Lin is the chair of the Toronto District School Board. Nancy Crawford is the chair of the Toronto Catholic District School Board.
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Reporting Hate
In Our Schools
If you are a staff or a student or a parent/caregiver, and you are a victim of/or witnessing an incident of racism, bias, or hate in our schools, please report it to the school's principal, who has a duty to investigate all incidents. Each time an incident takes place in a school, it is to be recorded in a portal which then begins a system response. We have a responsibility to educate against hate. For more information, please visit the webpage for Reporting an Incident of Hate or Discrimination Involving or Impacting Students. If you experience it, or witness it, report it. Please.
Complaints regarding social media postings should be sent directly to the TDSB's Human Rights Office at humanrightsoffice@tdsb.on.ca. The intake process is being centralized in the Human Rights Office to ensure for consistency of process.
In Our Communities
Report any allegations of hate-motivated crimes to police for investigation at 416-808-2222 or 9-1-1 in an emergency. We will not tolerate any intimidation, harassment, or hate-motivated behaviour aimed at specific communities. You can also call 1-800-222-TIPS to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Toronto Police provide new online option to report hate-motivated graffiti
Toronto Police Service is launching a new option for the public to provide information to police about hate-motivated graffiti in their neighbourhoods. The web form, available on the Service’s website, provides an additional avenue for the public to alert police to hate-motivated graffiti, so officers can attend, gather evidence and arrange for the hate-motivated graffiti to be removed as quickly as possible. This reporting mechanism will be monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please remember TDSB's Mental Health and Well Being Professional Support Staff (PSS) are here to support your mental health and well-being and to help you navigate the tools and resources you may need. Please see resources on their website.
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Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Session #2
Special Education and Inclusion is pleased to offer their second engagement session for parents/guardians/caregivers this year.
Please see the below for details:
Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Session #2
Morning Session - Tuesday, March 5th, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Webinar Link
Parent/Guardian/Caregiver Session #2
Evening Session - Wednesday, March 6th, 2024 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Webinar Link
If you require a language interpreter, please send in your request by February 20th to SpecialEd@tdsb.on.ca.
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Building Mathematical Minds (Part 2) - March 6 at 6:30
Part 2 promises to deepen the strategies introduced in Part 1, fostering an enriching environment where you will be able to engage in math problem-solving strategies, ask questions, and gain increased confidence in supporting your child(ren) with their homework. Register now to extend the mathematical exploration and collaboration – let's build a foundation for positive math experiences together! Register here.
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Breaking Down Barriers To Mental Health in Black Communities with Trey Anthony - Community, Caregivers, Staff and Students (Gr. 7-12) - March 7 from 6-7:30
The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement will be hosting a session during Black Mental Health Week 2024 with award-winning playwright, actor, and wellness expert Trey Anthony ‘Da Kink in My Hair’.
Honouring the theme for this year, ‘Growth and Reflection,’ we invite parents, caregivers, students (Gr. 7-12) and community members to join Trey as she delves into important topics such as the stigma surrounding mental health in Black communities. Register here.
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City of Toronto Spring Recreation Programs
The City offers thousands of low-cost & affordable recreation programs. From painting classes to karate to pickleball and cooking classes, there’s something for everyone. Find the spring programs online & get ready to register on March 5 & 6:
http://toronto.ca/SpringRec.
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School Mental Health Assist - A Spark of Art
ThriveSMH presents "A Spark of Art," a virtual art gallery for Ontario public school students in grades 7–12. Submissions open until March 31. Please email submissions to eigor@smho-smso.ca.
Please feel free to share this opportunity with the students in your network.
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Level Up Middle School Engineering Science Fair
The Science Fair provides students with the chance to collaborate with peers, receive feedback from industry professionals, and showcase their solutions to real-world challenges.
Contact Kirusha Srimohanarajah, P.Eng
Education Chair, PEO Kingsway Chapter at kirushasri@gmail.com for a comprehensive registration guide that includes everything teams need to get started, from registration procedures to preparing a compelling pitch.
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Summer Company Grant
Are you an Ontario student with a business idea? The Summer Company program supports eligible young student entrepreneurs, aged 15 to 29, looking to launch and operate a small business during the summer. The Summer Company program provides:
- Business fundamentals training
- Group and one-to-one mentorship sessions with a trained business professional
An opportunity for a grant of up to $3,000 to help launch your small business
For more information, review the program overview and detailed guidelines. Begin the process by April 1.
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Identify 'N Impact Awards
The City of Toronto through the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC) will be holding our 25th Anniversary Gala and Identify 'N Impact Awards this year where we will honour the contributions that Black, Indigenous and equity deserving youth make to Toronto. Youth between the ages of 13 to 27, who either live, work or go to school in the City of Toronto are eligible to receive an award. Deadline is March 29, 2024. Click here.
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Excellence Awards!
Every year, the TDSB Excellence Awards help shine a light on the stories of extraordinary staff commitment, and we are delighted to announce that nominations for the Excellence Awards 2024 will open on February 27, 2024. The Excellence Awards align with our shared system priorities and help highlight TDSB staff’s efforts to foster joy, engagement and belonging in our schools, workplaces and communities as a foundation for academic achievement, student success, and service excellence.
We want to know about the TDSB staff you know who are inspiring students, innovating the curriculum, championing digital transformation, creating inclusive schools and workplaces, and working behind the scenes to support operational excellence.
We welcome nominations from anyone – staff, students, parents/caregivers or community members – please submit through the Excellence Awards website during the nomination period between February 27 and April 5, 2024.
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Measles
During the pandemic, some people may have missed their measles vaccinations and should make sure they are up-to-date with their vaccines. Toronto Public Health (TPH) is investigating one lab confirmed case of measles. The measles vaccine is available at your doctor’s office or at a TPH community clinic for school-aged children. Due to travel, measles still occurs in Canada. Anyone born before '96 who hasn't had measles should check their immune status—you might think you're immune, but not be. Two doses were introduced then. Let's eradicate measles again!
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Need for Aquatic Instructors
In order to operate swim programs in our schools with pools, we need two on-site aquatic instructors. Sadly, the TDSB has had a shortage of aquatic instructors since schools reopened from COVID. If you know of any aquatic instructors, please, have them complete the application - the board has been advertising and I have been advertising on Twitter since the end of last year. Here’s the link directly to the posting for applicants to apply. https://tdsb.sabacloud.com/Saba/Web_spf/CA1PRD0033/jobs-Support/career/jobdetail/jobrq000000000002580. Thanks!
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Please Keep Safe... and Keep Others Safe
Layers of protection work to help reduce virus spread. For example:
😷wear a well-fitted mask
🧼wash hands often
🏠stay home if sick
💨choose well ventilated spaces
🛡️stay up-to-date with your vaccines
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Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Helpline 9-8-8 - On November 30, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC ) through the Canadian Radio and Television Corporation (CRTC) announced a national three digit Mental Health and Suicide Prevention hotline number, 988. Learn More.
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2023-2024 Calendar
Please ensure you check these dates before scheduling events. Please also note the PA Day originally scheduled for Friday, April 19, 2024 has been rescheduled and will now occur on Monday, April 8, 2024.
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Dogs Are Not Allowed On School Property - How to Report
Please contact 311 if you see dogs in school grounds so they can log the concerns and please also call TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620. Tracking the concerns will allow us to build the case for increased surveillance.
At our recent Finance, Budget and Enrolment Committee, the staff report confirmed the following -
Dogs on school properties have been an ongoing challenge for many years despite the “no dogs permitted” signage. There have been examples of dog owners taking their dogs off leash or even leaving their dogs unattended in a school yard, or within the kindergarten or childcare enclosures. There have been incidents of off-leash dogs chasing as well as biting students, members of the public and staff. Dog feces and disposal bags are frequently left on the school grounds impacting the student use and enjoyment of outdoor activities.
Signage is posted near the entrances, such as gates or openings in the school ground fencing (refer to Appendix A for a copy of the signage) that clearly indicates TDSB school grounds are private property and dogs are not permitted on school board property. Section 6.10 in PR523, Access to School Premises prohibits canines on TDSB properties at any time (except service animals).
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Community Safety & Support
If you should you ever see any suspicious activity around school buildings after school hours, please contact 311, Toronto Police Services Dispatch at 416-808-2222, or the TDSB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 416-395-4620.
If you or a family member is in crisis, please contact Kids Help Phone:1-800-668-6868 or get support right now by texting CONNECT to 686868.
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