Regional office, Barrhead –
School board launches superintendent recruitment process
The school board moved to issue a request for proposals regarding the recruitment of a superintendent.
Pembina Hills Public Schools has strong and committed staff who work hard every day to provide high quality education to students within our geographic area and across the province. Our division is more complex than most, with 3,900 students in community schools, 7,800 students with Vista Virtual School and another 44,000 students who count on the Alberta Distance Learning Centre.
The board is committed to ensuring that everyone in the division has the support and leadership they need. That’s why having a superintendent in place this August before the beginning of the new school year is in the best interests of our communities, students and staff.
As a first step in this process, the board will be hiring a recruitment firm to work with us. We hope to have them in place this spring and then quickly move forward with the process. The current five-year contract for the position of superintendent expires July 31, 2017 and the board has decided not to renew it.
Board allots resources to schools
The school board adopted the annual allocation formula for schools. The formula allots financial resources that the board will receive as a result of the provincial budget to schools.
After 20+ years, the formula has been changed to allot specific time for principals and associate principals to lead and manage their schools. The formula also includes an equalization allocation, intended to help balance the funding allocation to schools for things that are not within the control of the school (i.e. school size; circumstance).
School fees reduction grant
The board also allotted funds to schools from the new schools fees reduction grant the division will receive this fall. The grant is to help compensate divisions for fees they will no longer be allowed to charge parents. These include:
Busing fees for students who attend their designated school and who live more than 2.4 kilometres from the school. The division does not charge busing fees to these students, so this will not impact families in our school division.
School fees for basic educational services and supplies. This includes things like textbooks, workbooks, printing, software licenses, agendas and paper costs.
The division will continue to charge fees for in-town busing and for students who ride the bus to a school other than their designated school.
Also, schools will continue to charge fees for enhanced educational services and non-curricular activities. This includes things like field trips, resale supplies, milk programs, hot lunch programs, sports teams, clubs, etc.
The next school board meeting is on Wednesday, April 26 at the Regional Office in Barrhead starting at 9:30 a.m. The public is welcome to attend.