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Volume 50 - June 9, 2022

NEWS

TDSB Approves Policy to Improve Access to Specialized Schools and Programs

Toronto District School Board Trustees approved the Student Interest Programs Policy at their Regular Board Meeting in May, which will improve access to the TDSB’s nearly 40 specialized schools and programs.

The policy will improve access by reducing systemic barriers - such as geographic, socio-economic and race – that were identified by members of the TDSB community during an extensive consultation process. Updates to the Student Interest Programs Policy include:

Using an interest-based application over an assessment of ability through auditions, formal portfolios, entrance exams or report cards.

Using a random selection process where interest exceeds available space.

Creating a unified and consistent application to streamline the process and promote fairness.

For more information, please read the news release.

TDSB Chair Calls on Parties to Better Support Toronto Schools

Prior to the provincial election, Chair of the Toronto District School Board, Alexander Brown, called on all provincial parties to commit to supporting Toronto schools with adequate and stable funding that fully supports all pandemic costs and the implementation of the TDSB’s Pandemic Recovery Plan.

The TDSB is currently projecting a deficit of $52.2M for the 2022-23 school year, primarily due to pandemic costs and declining enrolment. Should additional funding not be provided to address the impacts of the pandemic, savings will need to be found and cuts will need to be made. Trustees and staff do not want to make these reductions, especially now when the students of Toronto need stability and support after more than two years of disruption.

For more information, including a video of the Chair’s remarks and background information, please read the news release.

Letter: Student Trustee Governance

On behalf of the Toronto District School Board, Chair Alexander Brown issued a letter to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce to request amendments to the Education Act to better support student trustee governance.

New Funding Provides New Learning Spaces at Poplar Road JPS & Elizabeth Simcoe JPS

The Ministry of Education, together with the Toronto District School Board, has announced $16 million for the replacement of Poplar Road Junior Public School in Guildwood. This announcement also included $2.5 million in funding for the expansion of nearby Elizabeth Simcoe Junior Public School.

tdsbCARES Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal

As the war in Ukraine continues and the resulting humanitarian crisis worsens each day, the TDSB has launched the tdsbCARES Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal to support the Canadian Red Cross and UNICEF in their ongoing efforts to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to those impacted. This initiative will run until June 30, 2022.

For more information, including how to donate, please visit the webpage for tdsbCARES Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal.

Heritage and History Months

The Toronto District School Board is proud to celebrate the following heritage and history months during April, May and June:

April

May

June

BOARD MEETING NOTES

The following items were approved or received by the Board of Trustees at the Regular Board Meeting in April and May:

April

May

For more information, including a full list of Board Decisions, please read the Summary of Decisions (April 2022, May 2022).

Upcoming Meetings

The next Regular Board Meeting is on Wednesday, June 29, 2022. For a list of upcoming meetings, please click on the calendar on the main webpage of www.tdsb.on.ca.

TDSB Trustees