Another ratified agreement highlights Tuesday's ADSB meeting

The Algoma District School Board has ratified another local labour agreement.  Public board trustees ratified a three year agreement with its secondary contract and continuing education teachers at Tuesday’s meeting.  The agreement is retroactive to last September 1st and lasts until the end August 2017.  This follows a ratification of a central agreement with the province back in September.

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Public school board trustees observed a moment of silence for a colleague during Tuesday’s meeting.  Longtime public board trustee Harry Jones passed away on November 15th.  He had served on the Sault Ste. Marie School Board from 1994 to 1998 and the Algoma District School Board from 2007 to 2014.  Jones was remembered for his volunteerism with several groups and his sense of humour.  The First Nations representative was also involved with the Waubetek Business Development Corporation for the last 15 years.  He was also instrumental in the start-up of the Batchawana First Nation’s Industrial Park.  In addition to Jones’ service at the Sault Ste. Marie School Board and the ADSB, he served as a volunteer with the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce.  Jones also made presentations to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and at the Banff Centre for Management on best practices in Aboriginal businesses.  He also represented Northern Ontario on a trade mission to Germany in 2000.  Jones had also recently assisted the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association with changes to their governance structure.

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A decision was made to approve the Algoma District School Board’s Financial Statements for 2014-15.  The board experienced a surplus of 973 thousand dollars as a result.  The improved financial results were made possible through higher than expected enrolment and savings.  The surplus will allow for more flexibility to continue to improve student programming at the public school board.  This ranges from increased access to emerging technology to capital improvements to school learning environments for students.