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Volume 44 - July 15, 2021

NEWS

2021-22 Operating Budget

On Wednesday, June 30, Trustees approved the 2021-22 Operating Budget for the Toronto District School Board (page 51). To support the safe and effective return to school in September, the $3.49B budget includes additional investments in the following areas: staffing supports; mental health and special education; student transportation health and safety; school operations and ventilation; and, re-engaging students and reading assessment supports.

For more information, please read the news release.

Letters to the Minister of Education

On behalf of the Toronto District School Board, Chair of the Board Alexander Brown wrote to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce to express concerns with quadmesters and modified semesters, as well as the upcoming operating budget regarding reserves and pandemic costs:

Facility Condition Index and Renewal Needs Backlog

The Toronto District School Board has released the 2021 Facility-Condition-Index (FCI) and Renewal-Needs-Backlog (RNB) for each school, which are posted on each school’s website. The TDSB updates this information annually. The Ontario government is responsible for funding school repairs. As of May 2021, TDSB’s systemwide school repairs backlog was $3.7 billion. The funding backlog for school repairs for all Ontario schools is over $16 billion.

For more information, please read the news release.

Student Trustees Elected for the 2021-22 School Year

On Thursday, June 24, students from across the Toronto District School Board voted online to elect their Student Trustees for the 2021-22 school year. Congratulations to our new Student Trustees, Evan Woo from Earl Haig Secondary School and Jyoti Dadhich from Central Toronto Academy!

Isaiah Shafqat, who will be attending Kapapamahchakwew - Wandering Spirit School in the fall, will continue in his role as Indigenous Student Trustee. His term was recently extended by the Elders Council. Evan and Jyoti will join Isaiah as Student Trustees for the 2021-22 school year.

Selection Form for In-Person or Virtual Learning (2021-22)

The TDSB will be asking families to complete an online Selection Form for In-Person or Virtual Learning in August. Families will receive an email with a link to the selection form on Thursday, August 5. At that time, families will have up-to-date information on the status of the pandemic and vaccinations for school staff and students, and will be in a better position to make an informed decision.

For more information, including multiple translations, please visit the TDSB webpage for the 2021-22 school year.

School Year Calendar (2021-2022)

The Ministry of Education has approved the TDSB’s 2021-2022 School Year Calendar. The first day of classes for students will be September 9, 2021. Visit the TDSB website for the full calendar, including PA days and holidays.

Revised Secondary Timetable (2021-22)

The TDSB continues to consider details of the modified semester for all secondary schools and has now finalized the school year calendar and daily schedule that all secondary schools will be following.

Learn more about revised secondary timetable for 2021-2022 school year.

COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Plan

Learn more about the TDSB’s Pandemic Recovery Plan, a three-phase plan that will identify which groups have been most impacted and where interventions will be put in place for the school year ahead. This is the first in a series of reports over the next two years and provides an in-depth analysis of key student perception and learning outcome data.

Community Expression of Interest Form: Renaming Schools Reference Group

The Toronto District School Board is coordinating the establishment of the Renaming Schools Reference Group. This volunteer group will be engaging in establishing a framework to lead the renaming of TDSB locations and schools.

This process is occurring at a time when there is a broader societal shift towards honouring the importance of “naming” spaces that represent Indigenous or Black leaders or other racialized leaders, and its association to The Land and Indigenous histories.

Learn more about the reference group and renaming process, including how to apply.

Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement

The Centre is dedicated to improving the experiences and outcomes for Black students. It aims to be responsive to the voices of Black communities who have advocated for systemic change within educational institutions and for dismantling anti-Black racism at the TDSB.

The Centre’s latest newsletter is now available online.

To learn more, follow @tdsb_cebsa on Twitter and Instagram and sign-up for the mailing list.

BOARD MEETING NOTES

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

For a full list of Board decisions, please read the Summary of Decisions.

Upcoming Meetings

The next Regular Board Meeting is on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. For a list of upcoming meetings, please click on the calendar on the main webpage of www.tdsb.on.ca.

TDSB Trustees