NEWS RELEASE
DISTRICT BOARD ONTARIO NORTH EAST
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On Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, the District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) Board of Trustees approved the spending of funds in accumulated surplus to safely reopen schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
The board approved the spending of $1,134,370.46 to supplement the funding received from the Ministry of Education. These funds are essential to ensuring that DSB1 schools are safe and that adequate supports are in place to support a positive future story for all students.
“The Board of Trustees is proud of the work that was done to ensure that our schools are safer for everyone. The funds received from the Ministry of Education were not sufficient to meet the needs of our students and staff as we reopen schools in a pandemic,” said Bob Brush, Board Chair.
The approved funding will support the purchase of plexi-glass dividers for primary classes, Turbo Hubs and other additional technology to support students who are engaged in voluntary distance learning this year. The funding will also support additional staffing for the 2020-2021 school year. DSB1 has hired more monitors, Designated Early Childhood Educators and support staff for various departments.
The Ministry of Education informed school boards across Ontario that they could access up to two per cent of their accumulated surplus for schools reopening. In DSB1, the funds approved at the Sept. 22, 2020, board meeting amount to 0.98 per cent of our accumulated surplus. 1.2 per cent of the funds are still available to the board, if required later this year.
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