ECA Review 2020-03-04

CLEARVIEW PUBLIC SCHOOLS
2 M arch 5'20 HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLER, AB. ECA REVIEW
Transportation department, a well-oiled operation
Brenda Schimke
ECA Review
Maryann Wingie, Director of
Transportation Services, presented
the transportation
services update to Clearview
Public School Board trustees at
their regular meeting on Feb. 26
in Stettler.
The district has been collecting
and analyzing the length
of bus rides for 18 years and has
been able to consistently meet
the Board’s ride time goals.
Currently high school students
from Byemoor face the
longest rides.
Transportation safety
Wingie expressed her pride in
the transportation staff. For
this reporting year there were
zero accidents and zero convictions
for Clearview bus drivers
and zero out-of-service days for
the maintenance crew.
MELT (mandatory entry level
training for Class 1 and 2
drivers) is proceeding.
Clearview bus drivers get the
53.5 hours of training free and
donate their time.
As one driver stated, “What
they hated most about MELT
was 53.5 hours of training, what
they loved most about MELT
was 53.5 hours of training!”
Transportation budget
Since the fuel price contingency
grant was eliminated in
2014, all school districts have
struggled with insufficient dollars
to run buses and
consequently have used
instructional dollars, surpluses
and other grants to fund the
shortfalls.
Transportation made savings
through route optimization,
removing eligible, but non-rider
students and decreasing bus
maintenance costs through
better communication on road
maintenance with counties.
“We are pleased how quickly
county staff work to address
school district road concerns,”
said Wingie.
A co-operative busing
arrangement was made some
time ago with the local separate
school division, East Central
Alberta Catholic Schools
(ECACS), for schools in the
Town of Castor.
Advantages of cooperative
busing agreements are many—
efficiencies gained in running a
single busing route, best use of
tax dollars, and additional
grants available from the
Alberta Government ($713 per
student).
As budgets tighten, it is hoped
a similar agreement can be
reached within the County of
Stettler.
Many school districts have
already, or will be introducing
student bus fees, to make up for
the grants lost in the fall budget.
Other districts have turned to
private operators.
“Last time Clearview looked
into contracting out busing, our
transportation efficiencies were
such that a private operator was
unable to bid high enough to
make money”, said Wingie.
The idea of the province
coordinating the purchase of
buses to gain bulk purchasing
power was also raised as a
potential cost savings to local
school boards.
Boards meet with
MLA Nate Horner
Trustees Scott and Smyth
reviewed outcomes from a
meeting they had arranged
with Nate Horner, MLA for
Drumheller-Stettler on Feb. 19
in Hanna.
All school boards that are
wholly or partially within the
borders of Horner’s constituency
were invited to attend.
Four did, Golden Hills, Prairie
Land , Prairie Rose and
Clearview.
Horner has asked that after
the budget is released, school
boards provide him with analyses
comparing the old funding
model to the new funding
model.
“He needs facts in hand”, said
Scott, “so when opportunities
arise, he is better able to argue
for and represent the rural
perspective.”
Specific areas discussed were
transportation costs, insurance
on school buildings (which have
skyrocketed) and the necessity
and ability to have flexibility,
autonomy and rural perspective
represented in Caucus.
Village of Big Valley
Community Vision session
Trustee Smyth attended the
Feb. 25 meeting where the draft
community plan was unveiled.
Smyth noted that the school
wasn’t mentioned in the proposed
Village of Big Valley
municipal plan.
“This raises the whole
issue of different levels of
governance needing to advocate
on behalf of each other,”
said Smyth.
Discussion centered
around the Clearview Board
becoming more aware of
community-planned events
and more forthcoming in
offering input into municipal
plans since schools are
valuable assets in
communities.
“From his perspective,
conversation with community
groups is as important
as communication with
parent councils,” said chair
Greg Hayden.
CUPE Agreement
ratified
A two-year agreement
with non-instructional staff
was ratified. It ends on Dec.
31, 2021 and provides no
increases for base compensation
and only small
changes from the previous
agreement.
Shaping Tomorrow
Groups designed to help
Men and Women develop
healthier relationships by
identifying appropriate
ways of expressing anger
and resolving conflict.
Men’s Group – 15 weeks
Women’s Group – 12 weeks
TOPICS INCLUDE:
• Communication Skills
• Healthy Ways of Handling Anger
• Expressing Feelings
• Building Positive Relationships
• Goal Setting
Next Groups start Mid March 2020
For more information and to register:
Call FCSS 403-742-2337 or Judi 403-740-6835
The Brownfield Rec Centre
would like to thank all the volunteers that helped with the booth and curling ice
and the following sponsors for making our bonspiels a great success!
Action Applicators (Gerene Cole)
Adair Ranch
Adam & Karin Richardson
Arbonne (Rachel Resch)
Archie & Wanda Merchant
Archie Brown
ATB (Coronation)
Atco Power Station (Forestburg)
Backcountry Supplies
Battle River Railway
Boxma Plumbing
Brent & Cathy Swanson
Buffalo Lake Charolais (Lyle & Wendy Bignell)
Burma Park
Carol Lundy
Cervus Equipment (Coronation)
Cheryl Leslie
Coro View Farms Ltd.
Coronation Bulk Sales
Coronation Industrial Sales & Rentals
Coronation Seed Cleaning Co-Op
Coronation Tire & Rubber
Craig & Jill Brown
Cutting Edge Grading Ltd.
D & L Holdings (Don & Linda Maron)
D.M Richardson Farms
Danny & Vanessa Johnson
Donald & Diane Elliott
Doreen Renschler
Down to Earth Farms
Dryland Cattle Trading Corp.
Elliott Bros.
Express Pipeline
Future Ag (Coronation)
Gibson’s
Golby’s Hardware
Harvey & Dawn Bargholz
Harvey Thomas Memorial
Heartland Auto Supply
Heidecker Farms
Heisted Furniture
Houlihan Designs
Hugh & Linda McLarty
Jagged Edge Salon
James & Amanda Richardson
Kal Tire (Sedgewick)
Keith & Lynn Barnes
King West Outfitters
League Projects
Lisa Heidecker Photography
Little Gap Septic Services
Logo & Co.
M & N Construction
Meadowland Ag Chem Ltd.
Mike & Michele Copan
Moments in Time (Robin Cole)
Moose Cave
MR Autobody
Nelson Creek Cattle Co. Ltd
Nutrien Ag Solutions (Amisk)
Nutrien Ag Solutions (Coronation)
OK Tire (Castor)
Pampered Chef (Debbie Elliott)
Provost Livestock Exchange
Ramsey’s Stockman Centre
Rangeland Auto Repair
RE Brigley & Sons Ltd.
Richard Acaster
Richardson Pioneer (Veteran)
S Barnes Trucking
Scentsy (Christine Chambers)
Short Stop Liquor
Smith’s Equipment Sales
Stan & Louise Lawson
TD Canada Trust (Coronation)
The Liquor Pig
Thornton Electric
Trent Bedson
True Roots Salon & Spa
Wayne & Jolene Thacker
Wayne & Shauna-Lee Thomas
WJ Simmentals (Byron, Bernice & Wyatt Johnson)