At the April 8th meeting which was held at Regional Office, the school board broadcast their first board meeting via livestream. Board Chair Tuininga was in attendance at the Regional Office and in order to comply with social distancing guidelines, the remaining trustees participated in the meeting virtually through Google Meet.
Members of the public were able to view a livestream broadcast of the meeting from the Pembina Hills School Division website and Facebook page. Although they experienced a couple technical difficulties, the board quickly adapted to this new way of virtual communication.
Fee refunds coming to families
The school board approved the following fee refunds as a result of class cancellations and school closures due to COVID-19:
- Transportation fees – 30% of annual fees will be refunded for:
- In Town Bus Fees
- Transportation fees for rural students attending a requested school
- Facility rentals – Refunds will be issued for any prepayment of unused rentals
- Early Learning – Fees for typically developing children will be refunded for May and June
- Student Activity Fees:
- If the activity has not occurred, 100% will be refunded
- If the activity has partially occurred, refunds will be prorated
- Sales of consumables – a full refund will be issued only for items that have not been delivered or consumed
Parents do not need to request refunds; they will automatically be processed. Over the next couple of weeks parents can expect to receive applicable refunds from either the school, the division or both depending on the type of fee. Payments will either be refunded online, if that’s how they paid originally, or by cheque to the guardian listed on file. Refund amounts less than $5.00 will not be processed.
See the board meeting agenda and minutes for more information.
The next school board meeting is at the Regional Office on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 starting at 9:00 a.m. Members of the public are invited to view the meeting via live stream at: