Summer, 2017
Legacy
A history of the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board since amalgamation
Š 2016 WECDSB
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Editor’s Introduction
Editor’s Introduction O
n behalf of the 2014-16 Academic Leadership Candidates, this document was presented to the Windsor Essex Catholic School Board. As a culminating activity, teacher candidates chose to archive the history of the WECDSB since it’s amalgamation in 1998. Essentially, this document highlights the struggles and achievements of the Board as it continues its journey to become a leader in Catholic Education.
The Academic Leadership Candidates 2014-16: Michelle Baggio Julie Bondy Kim Capaldi-Field Patrizia Civitarese Ian Cullion Cindy Derksen Rick Frias Elisa Houston Joe Idone Kim Kielt Vivian Kubik Cory McAiney Stacey McClounie Patricia Poku-Christian Cassia Pulleybank Paul Scalzo Susan Wright Leaders: Joe Bachetti Sue Easby Joseph Ibrahim Tish Hedderson Superintendent: Mike Seguin Thank you to Calin Murgu for assembling this document.
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Contents Signficant Events...............................4 Call for Amalgamation...................8 Growth and Stability.....................10 Challenging Times...........................12 EQAO at a Glance............................16
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Significan
Significant Events
1998
1998 The newly constituted Windsor Essex County District School Board takes affect on 1 January, 1998.
2001 Blueprint for the Future, Strategic Priorities 2001 - 2006 published. 2002 Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association produced the “Enduring Gift” - 175 years of Catholic Education”.
“Faith Day” officially implemented, to be celebrated annually.
Brennan ground-breaking celebration announced $10 million renovation; Holy Cross and Holy Names elementary schools open.
2003 Assumption College Catholic High School began accepting applications for its International Baccalaureate program in December 2003, with students beginning studies in Fall 2004.
F. J. Brennan Catholic High School celebrated its 50th anniversary with a reunion, bringing together alumni and staff from the school and remembering its origins in Corpus Christi High School.
2004
International Baccalaureate program launches to great acclaim at Assumption High School.
Bishop R. Fabbro and Fr. L. Brunet bless the new Catholic Education Centre located next to Assumption High School.
St. Joseph High School construction approved; to be opened September 2005.
2005
St. Francis Elementary School’s Healthy Active Living Pilot Program receives the first annual Clean Green School Challenge Platinum Award presented by City of Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis.
St. James and Holy Cross Catholic Elementary Schools receive Rotary Peace School designations in February 2006.
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Events
On June 27, 2005, the WECDSB approves the construction management process for a new St. Anne’s Catholic High School. Construction begins and the total cost is $29 500 000. Ground blessing for the new High School takes place at the end of November. Cost overruns put the final price at $37 522 526.
St. Christopher Catholic Elementary School receives a Natural Resources Canada Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP) Award for being the top school in Ontario for an energy-efficient designed building and is one of the top four in all of Canada.
2006 Assumption College Catholic High School receives full accreditation from the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer students the prestigious International Baccalaureate program.
In June the Media reports and publicly questions the escalating costs of St. Joseph and St. Anne’s High Schools. Negative public opinion about the financial management of the new schools and the WECDSB cause Sandra Pupatello (Minister of Education) to create an Internal Audit Unit to restore public confidence in the Board.
2007
A Key Communicators Network was established, with membership from each Catholic school. The key communicators shared good news from their schools and facilitated media stories.
2008
Board partnership with Ontario Special Olympics Windsor Summer Games 2009.
2009
Superintendent Iatonna reported that the board currently lacks a comprehensive computerized management system for the tracking of inventory components, maintenance activities and work order history for its buildings and major equipment.
Good Places to Learn (GPL) - Stage 4 Project List Trustees received an administrative report indicating the Ministry of Education has provided funding for a fourth stage to the Good Places to Learn (GPL) program in order to continue to assist school boards with addressing high and urgent school renewal needs.
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Significant Events
1998 2010
Summer Institute Over 950 educators participated in our three-day WECDSB Summer Institute. Many sessions included a “Make and Take” component in the areas of Catholicity, Literacy, Numeracy, Assessment, Kindergarten, Combined Grades, Special Education, Technology and Tips for Classroom Routines. H. J. Lassaline Catholic School, Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic School, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School, St. Angela Catholic School, St. James Catholic School, St. Louis Catholic School, and W. J. Langlois Catholic School selected to integrate first phase of full day kindergarten. Continuing on the success of the Blueprint for the Future, “Foundations In Faith” Strategic Priorities 2009 - 2014 published.
2011
2012
2013
Ministry of Education did a financial and human resources review of the WECDSB, including a review of both non-union and union positions to assist the Board in considering various organizational alignments moving forward into the future. A capital deficit of $17.2 million was identified, an operating deficit of $1.8 million was determined by the Ministry through its review, in addition to a $2.4 million structural deficit that was confirmed. A total budget reduction of $12.4 million would be required to achieve a balanced budget.
The WECDSB ended the 2012-2013 school year with an in year surplus of over 7.68 million dollars. Capital construction necessary to consolidate schools, resulting in more efficient use of classroom space throughout the system was completed. Final phase of full day kindergarten integration initated. Inaguration of the F. J. Brennan Hockey Canada Sports Academy at the new Central Park Athletics facility.
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2014 / Major facility improvements at the F. J. Brennan Secondary 2015 School site to accommodate the introduction of the new Corpus
Christi Middle School for Grades 7 and 8.
Wireless internet for all elementary and secondary schools completed a full year ahead of schedule.Rapid expansion of cloud computing and increased student engagement thanks to more technology professional development for staff. EQAO results showed that the WECDSB was the top board in southwestern Ontario, with students meeting or exceeding provincial averages in most categories. The English Language Learners (ELL) Pilot Program at Immaculate Conception Catholic School helped students who recently arrived in Canada meet curriculum expectations. Realized an unprecedented $9.9M in-year budget surplus. Increased the accumulated budget surplus to $15.3M, the highest amount in Board history. Reduced the Board’s capital deficit to $14.9M, which is almost fully offset by eligible amounts in the accumulated budget surplus. EQAO results indicated that the WECDSB was the top performing board in Southwestern Ontario for a consecutive year. Final phase of full-day Kindergarten program across the school board completed.
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Amalgamation
Call for Amalgamation 1998 - 1999
Inter Director of Education: Brian Bourbeau, Richard T. Dittman Director of Education: Raymond Lussier, Michael Moher Chairperson: John Macri Board Chaplin: Father Larry Brunet Number of Elementary Schools: 51 schools Number of Secondary Schools: 9 schools Number of Superintendents: 7 Number of Principals and Vice-Principals: 91 Number of Elementary and Secondary Teachers: 924
History
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he 1990s was a period taut with tension for the Windsor Separate School Board (WSSB) and the Essex County Separate School Board (ECSSB). Boisterous calls for the amalgamation of the public and separate boards brought added pressure to an administration that was already dealing with a depleted budget, union tension, and reduced resources. Proponents of school board amalgamation cited increased efficiency and affordability, while opponents to the call for amalgamation questioned
shaky
constitutional
grounds.
The 1995 publication of former cabinet Minister John Sweeney’s Report on Ontario Educational Boards (known as the Sweeney Report) stoked the amalgamation debate. In the report, Sweeney urged school boards across the province to amalgamate into 87 boards, only half of the existing 168. For the Windsor/Essex region, the report recommended that the two separate school boards, representing nearly 28,000 students, and two public boards, representing 37,000 students, amalgamate into two
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boards. The report was met with predictable resistance. In response, Roman Catholic Separate School Board director James Molnar noted that “it’s a stark reality to the idea that things have to be done a different way. I think this board will be skeptical of the prospects for success and suspicious of any potential benefit to the ratepayers they serve.’’
Public opinion seemed to disagree with Molnar. A Windsor Star survey revealed that out of 277 individual respondents, all 277 agreed with the Sweeney Report’s recommendation. Ultimately, the consolidation of the four schoolboards took direct effect on 1 January 1998, with Brian Bourbeau serving as interim Director of Education. Raymond Lussier succeeded Bourbeau as the Director of Education of the newly constituted Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board on 4 May, 1998.
Yet Lussier’s tenure did not endure. In October 1999, Catholic School Board trustees requested that the Director of Education, Raymond Lussier, not report to work. On 10 November 1998, only five months after taking office, a motion to dismiss Lussier was put forward. Reasons for Lussier’s dismissal were never made public. Some trustees cited Lussier’s poor job performance as appropriate grounds for dismissal, while others, like Amherstburg representative Joan Courtney, publicly acknowledged that she had “never received one call expressing any dissatisfaction with Raymond’s leadership.” Nevertheless, on the 25 May, 1999, Michael Moher succeeded Lussier as the Director of Education. This upheaval signaled to some that the challenges of the amalgamation process, a difficult period in the history of the WECDSB, would finally come to an end. Moher’s comments put many at ease: “Five years from now I would like to see this board be looked at as one of the very best Catholic school systems in Ontario. That is my hope.” Source: The Windsor Star, Windsor, Ontario, 1995-99.
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Growth and Stability
Growth and Stability: 2000 - 2006 Director of Education: Michael Moher
Chairperson: Fred Alexander, John Macri Board Chaplin: Reverend Larry Brunet
Number of Elementary Schools: 41 schools Number of Secondary Schools: 9 schools Number of Superintendents: 4 Number of Support Staff: 830.35 Total number of Students: 25 593 Number of Principals and Vice-Principals: 88 Number of Elementary and Secondary Teachers: 1489
History I
n 2000 - 2001, the Windsor Essex Catholic School Board established a task force to develop a Strategic Plan for the school board. The publication of the Windsor-Essex Catholic School Board Blueprint for the Future (2001 - 2006) in 2001 sought to set the school board on a path of stability and sustainable growth. In it, the committee identified four “key pillars”: faith development, communication, student achievement, and employee development. While the Blueprint for the Future did account for student achievement and faith development - for example, the plan
recommended the development of performance standards and standardized curriculum evaluation the underlying focus of the plan was on human resource management: employee development and communication were atop the list of priorities. The plan offered strong recommendations for new positions in management roles directly linked to the office of the Director, a fostering of a “culture of innovation” amongst staff and faculty, and new leadership programs for all employee groups. It is likely that these administrative initiatives were engendered by the relative instability during the early years of the newly constituted board.
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Perhaps the most notable implementations during this period was the formation of “Faith Day” in 2002. Implemented under the direction of Dorothy Vermeulen, “Faith Day” aimed to satisfy the first of four “key pillars” as outlined by the Blueprint for the Future: faith development. The first “Faith Day” celebration was a half-day event that featured Father Fragomeni as the keynote speaker. Perhaps the developments that represent the stability and growth of the Windsor Essex Catholic School Board during this period have to do with Assumption High School. In the 2004-2005 year, Assumption High School launched its International Baccalaureate program, the first in the region. The IB program is an internationally recognized educational program. Not least, in the same year, the Catholic Education Centre opened behind Assumption High School. The completion of St. Anne and St. Joseph’s high schools, too, exemplified this period of growth.
Despite this period of success, financial troubles continued to linger. The elections of 2006 rekindled concerns about fiduciary management. According to a Windsor Star report, the Board had overspent by approximately $18 million on the construction of St. Joseph’s and St. Anne’s High schools. The same report noted that board trustees approved raises upwards of 118%. The concerns about fiduciary management became increasingly boisterous in the years that followed, culminating in an unprecedented move by the Ministry of Education. Source: The Windsor Star, Windsor, Ontario,
2000-2006.
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Challenging Times
Challenging Times: 2007-2013 Director of Education: Joseph Berthiaume, Paul Picard Chairperson: John Macri, Barbara Holland Board Chaplin: Reverend Father Larry Brunet Number of Elementary Schools: 36 - 41 Number of Secondary Schools: 9 schools Number of Superintendents: 4 Number of Support Staff: 868 Total number of Students: ~21,000 Number of Elementary and Secondary Teachers: ~1400
History T
he economic impact of the 2008 recession seriously affected the Windsor Essex Catholic School Board. In addition, consecutive years of mismanagement and overspending engendered significant challenges for the new Board. The $18 million debt accrued during the 2006-07 year, for example, adversely affected planning during this period. Year after year administrators were forced to realign in an attempt to balance the schoolboard budget. Furthermore, highschool enrolment plummeted at a rate that exceeded projections. As a result, headlines detailing layoffs and drastic cuts were prevalent in the press. Business
superintendent Mario Iatonna focused on saving measures: “We are looking for savings,” he said, “We aren’t adjusting the number of schools or support staff, so it makes it difficult to adjust in mid-year.” These cost saving measured translated into deferring new construction and maintenance costs, and other capital expenditure projects. For example, board officials deferred replacing roofs at St. Gabriel and St. William schools. Alicia Johnston, a spokeswoman in the finance minister’s office, stressed that these cuts would only have affected “less urgent capital expenditures. Nothing will affect teachers or students.”
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While support staff remained relatively constant during this period, the teaching compliment suffered. In June 2008 The Windsor Star reported that the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board had completed its final draft of balanced capital and operating budgets totaling $220 million for the 2009 school year. Among other cost saving measures, the document called for the elimination of 105 teaching positions. In response to criticisms, Superintendent Iatonna stated that declining school enrolment had negatively impacted provincial government grant allotment. He noted that the board had lost 2,700 students from 2001 - 2007 and enrolment was expected to decrease by a further 300 secondary and 650 primary grade students by September 2008.
As a result of the Board’s financial challenges, the Ministry of Education instituted a review of the Windsor Essex Catholic School Board in 2011. The Ministry reviewed the Board’s union and nonunion positions, in addition to other fiduciary processes. Ultimately, the Ministry found a deficit of $17.2 million and that approximately 40% of the Board’s schools had a utilization rate of less than 85%. The Ministry’s review identified four key areas that exceeded expenditure budgets: educational assistants, school operation and maintenance, professional and paraprofessional, and continuing education. Interestingly, contrary to popular concerns decrying the supposed increase in administrative staffing, the Ministry found that the WECDSB’s administrative staff size to be comparable or lower to other school Boards. According to the Ministry, “Criticism that board administration staff was growing in numbers and receiving pay increases at a time when major
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Challenging Times
staffing reductions were being pro- have made this past year,” said Barposed appears to be unfounded.” bara Holland, chairwoman of the board of trustees. “It’s very good As a result of its Ministry’s thor- news.” As a result, under Hartough review, in late August 2012, mann’s recommendation, the Minthe Ministry appointed Norbert istry announced that the WECDSB Hartmann to take over the reins would be managed co-operatively, of the WECDSB. In an open let- by the Ministry representative and ter to parents, Laurel Broten, the the board of trustees. Under HartMinister of Education, noted that mann’s tenure the trustees could not “supervision will help put the exercise any power over finances. board back on track to make responsible decisions that are in the 2013 signaled the end for this arbest interests of students.” Under- duous period in the history of standably, Barbara Holland was the WECDSB. Under co-operopenly critical, as she defined the ative management, the Board an unprecedented Ministry’s measures as “retaliatory.” realized $9.9M in-year budget surplus. Furthermore, it increased the accumulated budget surplus to $15.3M, the highest amount in Board history, and it reduced the Board’s capital deficit to $14.9M, which was almost fully offset by eligible amounts in the accumulated Hartmann was successful, having budget surplus. In response, in balanced the Board’s budget by November 2013, the period of suJune 2013. “The ministry has rec- pervision came to a close. “Effecognized the ongoing progress we tive immediately,” announced Liz
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Sandals, the Minister of Education, “the ministry has lifted its supervision of the board.” According to the Minister the ministry now expected that “a new culture of accountability” had been introduced at the WECDSB and that will be the “lasting legacy of supervision.” Barbara Holland, chair of the Board, noted that “We did all that was expected of us and we’re very glad to take back ownership of the board. We’ve had some outstanding achievements over the year, not just with finances, but with student achievement.” She continued: “We worked handin-hand to get to where we are today... Our system will move forward with great confidence.”
Since Supervision Following the period of Ministry supervision, the WECDSB has continued on a path to sustainability. According to the 2015 annual report, the Board successfully ended the 2014-2015 fiscal year with an in-year surplus of $5M, and increased the accumulated surplus
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to $20M. “We can compete with any (school board) anywhere,” said Paul Picard, the Director of Education. “And we’re attempting to show that, tangibly, by really engendering a change that is significant here.” Sources: The Windsor Star, 2007-2013. The Globe and Mail, 2012. WECDSB Financial Reports, 20122013.
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EQAO at
EQAO at a Glance
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t a glance
Education Quality and Accountability Office, Government of Ontario
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© 2016 WECDSB