Pearl Lorentzen
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Advocacy
The board of trustees started the meeting with a closed session. When they came out, the discussion focused on Jordan’s Principle and how community members, parents, and staff can be part of Northland’s advocacy. Part of this advocacy is for Jordan’s Principle to once again cover the hiring of education assistants (EAs). This led into a discussion of the provincial advocacy points for an April 28 meeting with two MLAs representing regions with Northland schools: Scott Sinclair (Lesser Slave Lake) and Todd Loewen (Central Peace – Notley and Minister of Forestry and Parks). See article on Pages 6 & 7.
Staffing
With changes to funding, the division will be changing staffing levels. All staff should know by the end of May if they have a job in the fall. Many should know by the end of April.
The principals have the list and will be meeting with each staff member to do an evaluation.
Fayant mentioned that for education assistants the directive includes that they work directly with students and that it is critical that EAs take part in education and training.
Board action items
Administration reported on the board action items. These are on Page 18 of the agenda package on Northland’s website. These include Jordan’s Principle advocacy, promoting Northland Online School to other divisions, and sending a letter to the Minister of Education to advocate to restore funding to the Program Unit Funding (PUF) for children with disabilities aged two years six months old to six years old. The request to restore the funding came from pediatric physicians.
Another completed item was sending a letter to the Minister of Education requesting ‘pre-planning’ funding for a new school at Paddle Prairie Métis Settlement.
Monthly financial reporting
Douglas Aird, Northland’s secretary-treasurer, reported on the monthly finances.
The division is overall in good shape, he said. The division will have a slightly larger deficit than anticipated, but it is smaller than it looks on paper. Since Jordan’s Principle funding is variable, the division didn’t include it in the budget. The year to date deficit was $1,658,462 instead of the budgeted $149,299. The division received $1.5 million from Jordan’s Principle and spent $1.5 million. If you subtract, the $1.5 million, the difference is only $9,163.
The Jordan’s Principle portion increases the income and the expenses, said Aird. This cancels itself out.
The salaries and benefits are divided by certificated and uncertificated. Certificated refers to certified teachers.
Wally Rude represents Ward 8 (Calling Lake).
He asked about the $2,992,123 extra in ‘uncertificated salaries and benefits.’
Of this, $1.5 million is the Jordan’s Principle funding for education assistants, said Aird. The other $1.7 million is also for education assistants.
Tanya Fayant, board chair and Ward 5 trustee, suggested that the board have a day to go over the budget. She represents Elizabeth Métis Settlement and Fishing Lake Métis Settlement.
Enrollment
Northland Superintendent Cal Johnson reported on student enrollment.
In April, the division is up 42 students compared to October 9, he said. There were no red flags.
Bonnie Lamouche represents Ward 3, which is Gift Lake and Peavine Métis settlements in the Lesser Slave Lake region.
She asked about students Gift Lake School lost to a neighbouring division.
Some have come back, said Owens.
Are we doing open houses? asked Jesse Lamouche. He’d heard about open houses by other divisions on the radio.
Jesse Lamouche is the Ward 4 trustee, representing East Prairie Métis Settlement and Grouard in the Lesser Slave Lake region.
Grouard Northland School just had one, said Owens. Susa Creek has one planned. Schools can get help from the Northland communications department advertising open houses.
Policies
The board approved changes to various policies. Three had to do with trustees. These were Policy 3 Appendix A – Services, Materials and Equipment to Trustees, Policy 7 Appendix C – Trustee Honoraria/Expense and Corporate Credit Card, and Policy 7 Appendix D – Rules of Order.
The fourth one was Policy 17 – Student Transportation.
Student engagement, attendance and completion
Mark Owens, Northland’s associate superintendent, reported on student engagement, attendance and completion. The division is working with families and schools to improve attendance.
In the past, some schools had 50 to 60 per cent of students coming less than 50 per cent of the time, he said. “That numbers changing,” with those students coming more often.
The written report listed Northland Online School as having 84 per cent of students attending less than half of the time. The next highest were Gift Lake and Calling Lake, both at 41 per cent.
Robin Guild is the vice chair and Ward 7 trustee. He represents Wabasca and Chipewyan Lake.
Guild mentioned that the division should find a better way to track attendance at the online school, since students might listen to the class later in the day.
“I hear great things,” he said, of the online school.
Owens agreed, saying that administration was looking at different options.
Do the schools that are struggling need more money to do a student engagement blitz? Fayant asked.
“They have funds,” said Owens, “and they have been starting to do these things.”
Across the division, attendance in March was 64 per cent, which was two per cent higher than 2023-24. September had the highest attendance.
There is often a dip in attendance from February to April, said Owens. The principals discussed it a recent meeting and are working on some strategies.
Budget principles and assumptions
Aird asked the board to approve the budget 2025-26 principles and assumptions, which administration will use to develop a budget. This will be presented to the board at the May 24, 2025 meeting. If approved that day, it will be sent to Alberta Education.
The Government of Alberta has promised Northland $32,919,513 for 2025-26, said Aird. This is $133,096 more than the division received in 2024-25.
The written report says, “this is welcome news for the division and is based on the estimated enrollments, changes announced to grants, and the new two-year weighted moving average (WMA).”
Enrollment is decreasing, said Aird, so the two-year instead of three-year moving average is a disadvantage, but there’s contingency funding and some grants have increased.
The written report says the five guiding principles are “a fair, transparent and equitable allocation. A process of collaboration and consensus building, developing fairness and equity. Decentralized (site-based) budgets with maximum funding for schools. Financial decision-making (with four sub-clauses). Individuals are accountable and responsible for their decisions and approvals.”
The key assumptions have to do with the allocation model, revenues and enrollment, salaries and benefits, supplies and services, capital programs, and contingencies.
Aird said contingencies include inflation, tariffs, fuel costs, and unforeseen changes to contracts.
The second point under allocation model says, “school food services is critical to our students’ health and continuing success. Although a specific grant has not been received for this, the program will continue.”
Scott Meunier, Northland’s deputy superintendent, mentioned that the federal government is expected to make announcement about a lunch program in September. However, there are no details.
Long service awards
The board set the long service and retirement awards celebration for May 23 in Edmonton.
The board is in Edmonton the next day for a board meeting, said Johnson. The division has 15 people receiving awards. Of these, five are for 20 years, six for 25 years, a couple for 30 years, and one for 35 years.
What happens if they don’t come? asked Jesse Lamouche.
The division sends the awards to the schools.
Bonnie Lamouche asked what they receive.
At 20 years people receive a moose hair tufting, at 25 a print (which they get to choose), and 30 receives gift cards.
Could you change that to Northland jackets for retirees? asked Bonnie.
Clothing is difficult, because there is usually a minimum order and you need to know the person’s size.
Grades added to three schools
Northland will add grades to three schools in the fall. These are Grade 9 to Elizabeth School, Grade 11 to Grouard Northland School, and Grade 10 at Gift Lake School. See article on Page 10.
Community engagement
The division held 16 community engagement sessions from January to March. See article on Page 6.
Telephone replacement
The board approved $193,946.50 plus GST from capital reserves to replace the telephone system across the division. This is 18 schools, one main office, and two sub-offices. The division will also sign up for a three-year contract for $5,921 plus GST per month.
What happens when the three years are up? asked Jesse.
It comes back to the board.
Indigenous education
Northland administration presented at a superintendent leadership conference in March about the division’s education plan and the community engagement which into it, said Johnson.
The first priority is ‘connections supporting reconciliation,’ which focuses on the Indian residential school Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
“This is a responsibility of everybody,” said Johnson. He’d received positive feedback from superintendents who attended the presentation. Administration is doing an in-depth follow-up presentation soon.
“We are leaders in Indigenous education,” said Fayant.
Implementing the ed plan
The superintendent’s highlights focus on the four priorities of the education plan. Priority 1 is connections supporting reconciliation. Priority 2 is holistic learning. Priority 3 is excellent people supporting students. Priority 4 is responsible resourcing.
Johnson mentioned that the presentations to the superintendents fall under Priority 1 and 2.
Meunier talked about more about Priority 2, comparing literacy and math assessments students did at the beginning of the year and recently.
“We’re seeing general improvements,” he said. “We also have some work to do.”
Under Priority 3, Owens talked about the collaborative model being used to support school leadership and the peer support groups the division has started for principals.
Occupational Health and Safety
Krista Veitch, Northland’s associate superintendent of HR reported on OH&S.
In April, the division had two workplace injuries, she said. One resulted in a WCB claim.
From March 11 to April 11, there were 47 student injuries.
More schools are properly tracking student injuries, said Veitch.
Transportation
“We transport every student without transportation,” said Aird.
The province pays for students who live a certain distance from the school and divisions can choose to transport those who live closer. Alberta Education is increasing the distance for funding from 1 km to 1.7 km.
Will the division lose money with the change? asked Fayant.
Jesse noticed in the report that 14 per cent of the students transported were not funded.
Where does the money come from to bus them? he asked.
These students live too close to the school to be funded, said Aird. However, if there’s room on the bus it doesn’t cost the division the full amount to pick them up, so the accounting isn’t straightforward.
Northland has 43 buses for 1,722 students. One challenge the division has is the remoteness of some schools. For example, Chipewyan Lake is two hours and 40 minutes from the nearest community when the gravel road is good. Therefore, the division has two buses at the school even though all the students fit on one.