An updated policy for out of boundary student appeals was approved by the Rocky View Schools (RVS) Board of Trustees at a regular meeting Jan. 21.
Changes to Policy 13 were part of a review necessitated by changes to the Education Act. The policy, which was last reviewed in January 2016, describes the processes for appeals of administrative decisions that severely affect the education of a student and/or expulsions.
An updated policy includes a commitment that the board supports the rights of parents or guardians to make inquiries, bring forward concerns regarding student matters and make appeals on administration decisions that severely affect the learning outcomes of students of the board. A student who lives in RVS' jurisdiction or is enrolled in the division is considered a student of the board.
The updated policy was approved by trustees. Board Chair Fiona Gilbert said in the past five years, there has been only one request to appeal to the board.
To ensure RVS was following proper appeal standards, Gilbert reached out to Zone Five member school boards. Between all the boards, there were none which got involved in regards to appeals to attendance boundaries.
During the meeting, Ward 4 Trustee Norma Lang asked that the term “student of the board” be struck from the policy.
“I feel that by defining who a student of the board is precisely in the background, that narrows the scopes of our board,” Lang said. “It’s not something I’m comfortable with.”
As an elected board there is a need to provide oversight of the administration of the division, she said, and it is important to allow parents and guardians another avenue to advocate for their children.
“There are a lot of circumstances out there that can impact a child's education,” Lang said. “When we narrow, we may prevent a child from getting on their life’s path, that doesn’t sit well with me.”
Lang's proposed amendment was defeated.
“By keeping them in, we are providing a clarity of intent to our superintendent as to what he needs to do if he turns away …. a family, turning away a child,” Gilbert said. “To me, there is great value in keeping those words [student of the board] in because it provides clarity.”
Ward 4 Trustee Todd Brand voted against the amendment. He noted the proposed change would have marked a pronounced shift in practice for the school board.
“We have a responsibility to make sure we are guarding the time and the resources of the school division,” Brand said. “I don’t feel it’s appropriate for us to be hearing appeals from students that are not part of Rocky View Schools.”
While she struggled with the proposal, Ward 1 Trustee Shall Baziuk said she could not support Lang's proposed amendment because there are currently three levels of appeal for students who are not in the division. She added the Board of Trustees is solely responsible to RVS' students and this is where their focus should lie.
She noted RVS surrounds the city of Calgary, which includes two large metropolitan school boards that experience large fluctuations in capacity.
“As a school board of trustees, we are responsible to Rocky View students first,” Baziuk said. “What this policy is not saying is that out of boundary students are not welcome. The only thing we’re saying is when a principal and an area director and a superintendent say, for all kinds of reasons, the answer needs to be no, then it’s no.”
