Grand Erie Trustees Approve 2019-20 Budget; Board on Track to Successfully Complete Multi-Year Financial Recovery Plan

Brantford Ont. – Grand Erie District School Board Trustees approved the operating and capital budgets for the 2019-20 school year at tonight’s Regular Board Meeting.

“Every day, in every decision we make, our main focus is our students,” said Board Chair Greg Anderson. “At a challenging and difficult time for all school boards in Ontario, we achieved a balanced budget without having to draw on reserves, we successfully delivered on our promise to complete the financial recovery plan on time, and we kept the indicators of our Multi-Year Plan, Success for Every Student, at the forefront of our decision-making process.”

Grand Erie was able to balance its 2019-20 budget despite an overall reduction in funding. The Board is also on track to complete its Ministry-imposed Multi-Year Financial Recovery Plan in August 2019. In achieving both goals, the Board never lost sight of its number one priority: students.

Grand Erie’s total operating budget for 2019-20 is $321,672,098. This is a decrease of 1.54 per cent or $5,037,381 from 2018-19. Impacts on Grand Erie’s 2019-20 budget include: The Ministry of Education’s New Vision for Education, which features changes to both elementary and secondary class-size averages as well as delays in the announcement of funding initiatives known as the Priorities and Partnerships Fund. Grand Erie is further impacted by declining enrolment and the end of Local Priority Funding, which expires August 31, 2019.

“We’re very proud of the work we’ve done on this budget,” said Anderson. “We’ve all worked together to exercise caution and find solutions. With every difficult decision, we’ve tried to insulate our students from the impacts. We’ve also protected funding and invested in programs and initiatives that directly support our students including those focused on equity and inclusion, well-being, technology, achievement, community and environment.”

Grand Erie’s 2019-20 budget features a significant investment in Special Education, with expenditures that far exceed the revenues the Board receives through funding. The additional $1.1 million invested by the Board will support the achievement and well-being of Grand Erie students in Special Education.

“As we’ve navigated this year’s budget process, we’ve tried to be as open as we can about our 2019-20 staffing,” said Anderson. “This is a time for transparency. Our students, our staff, and our community expect the facts; and, they understand the realities we’re facing. Changes to elementary and secondary class sizes lead to reduced funding. The bigger the board, the larger the impact. These changes, combined with a reduction in other grants, declining enrolment and the end of Local Priority Funding has resulted in some teaching staff reductions at our board.”

In April 2019, Grand Erie announced 84 secondary and 21 elementary teachers were declared redundant, meaning they don’t have a job with the board in the fall. Those numbers have since been reduced to 55 secondary and 16 elementary teachers.

“No one wants to see any Grand Erie employee lose their job,” said Anderson. “But, this is a challenging time for education. As elected officials, we have an obligation to make the most efficient use of public money, while also advocating for every resource we can for students in our communities. We firmly believe we’ve accomplished that with this budget. We’re also confident Grand Erie continues to deliver the best possible education experience for students because of the wide range of opportunities we can provide through 58 elementary and 14 secondary schools as well as our leadership when it comes to equity and inclusion.”

The total capital budget for Grand Erie in 2019-20 is $30,851,250. This includes funds allocated from the School Condition Improvement Grant, the School Renewal Allocation, Capital Priorities funding and Child and Family Program Capital.

Total projected Average Daily Enrolment (ADE) for Grand Erie in 2019-20 is expected to be 25,832, a decrease of 291 students from actual 2018-19 enrolment (26,123). Elementary ADE is estimated to be 17,995, while secondary ADE is projected to be 7,837.

For more information on Grand Erie’s 2019-20 Budget, see the Budget Approval Report (pages 34-39) here: https://bit.ly/2N0jSVx.

Get Out / Get Active - Colour House Event at Mohawk Park

The whole school participated in our Get Out/Get Active day on Monday, April 24th at Mohawk Park. Students played together in multi-grade Colour House groups as they rotated through 6 stations (scavenger hunt, parachute games, obstacle course, mural painting, play structure and snack). The weather was perfect for some exercise, team building, and co-operative learning.

Pink Shirt Day - February 22, 2017

The students of Echo Place School participated in several activities last month to educate and inspire our students to stand up against bullying and create a welcome, inclusive and safe school environment. Classes worked together to create posters that are now proudly displayed in our hallways.

They also worked in Colour House groups to create a welcome tree at our front entrance. Each student traced their handprint on coloured paper and wrote how they make this school a safe and kind place for everyone. On February 22, our school participated in Pink Shirt Day and classes presented stories and pledges at our school assembly, to share their understanding of the impact that bullying has, and why we will stand up against it.

The Amazing Math Race

On Tuesday, November 29th several families gathered in the gym to participate in our first Amazing Math Race.

Each family was given a passport and travelled from room to room solving fun math challenges. Each page of the passport was given a stamp when the challenge in that room was completed. When the passports were filled, the families returned to the gym for their prizes.

Everyone enjoyed cake, juice and coffee and all families received valuable resources to support their child's math learning at home. It was a great event.

Echo Place News for October 28, 2016

By Mr. Roberts Grade 6/7 class

Click to View the Echo Place News Report

Missing – Sound system

The sound system we use at assemblies for our microphone and to amplify our slide shows has gone missing from the stage area in our gym. The last time it was used was at our last assembly, on Sept. 30th. We have looked high and low, but have be unable to locate our system. It consists of a large amplifier, with multiple knobs and two large speakers. It is a Fender Passport 150 Pro. We are hopeful that if this system has been take out of the school, someone will spot it and let us know. The staff and students are all very sad that our only system has gone missing.

If you have any information about our sound system, please call 905-753-2931

Let's Chalk!

Echo Place Students participate in Let's Chalk Event

Friendship Bench

Our Friendship Bench is created in memory of Mrs. Linington and Mrs. Kauk, who were friends to everyone at Echo Place. This bench will be placed outside in our school yard, and will be used as a place for children to go when they need a friend. Several students from each classroom helped decorate the bench by supplying their painted handprints.

Golden Dustpan Award

At the end of each month, Ms. Reading (Custodian) will award the cleanest classroom with the Golden Dustpan Award. This month, Ms. Mancini and Mrs. Grandpre's JK/SK class was the winner. They will proudly display their trophy in the classroom for the following month.

At the end of the school year, the classroom that won the Golden Dustpan the most times will win a special surprise.

"We Believe In Clean"

September 2016 Golden Dustpan Award Winner: Mrs. Wainwright's Grade 4/5 Class (below)

February 2016 Golden Dustpan Award Winners: Ms Mancini (in for Mrs. Springett) and Mrs. Grandpre's JK/SK Class (below)

January 2016 Golden Dustpan Award Winners: Mrs. Mussi's Grade 1 class (below)

December 2015 Golden Dustpan Award Winners: Mrs. Woodley's Grade 2 class (below)

November 2015 Golden Dustpan Award Winners: Mrs. Springett and Mrs. Grandpre's JK/SK class (below)

October 2015 Golden Dustpan Award Winners: Ms. Barrett's JK/SK class (below)

September 2015 Golden Dustpan Award Winners: Mrs. Mussi's Grade 1 class (below)