Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 to discuss several agenda items.
Average Daily Enrolments for UCDSB Schools:
Superintendent Phil Dawes provided the Board with an overview of Average Daily Enrolments (ADE) for 2018-19. ADE provides an ongoing measure of attendance in our schools and is calculated as the average enrolments for October 31 and March 31 of each school year.
Enrolments for the Upper Canada District School Board have remained stable with an updated elementary ADE for 2018-19 of 17,856 students and projected secondary ADE of 8,476 students.
First Financial Forecast of 2018-2019 Fiscal Year:
Senior Business Advisor Richard Onley presented the board’s first financial forecast of the current fiscal year. The board now has an in-year operational deficit of $4.7 million for 2018-2019. The deficit is due to increased costs for student transportation resulting from an arbitration order imposed between bus owners and Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario (STEO), in the fall of 2018. STEO is the agency that coordinates student transportation for the UCDSB and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario. This arbitration has reportedly impacted the budgets of both boards.
Director Stephen Sliwa said administration is concerned about the deficit. The board is working closely with the Ministry of Education to find ways to mitigate its impact. Senior staff have also been seeking cost efficiencies in the current budget.
Trustees have requested senior administration bring a report to the Board this month on year-to-date spending and the percentage of budget spent so far in the current fiscal year. The report will be used as a starting point for discussions on ways to address the deficit.
