Agenda Amendment (Living Wage)
Motion 1 · Special Board Meeting, April 20, 2026
Summary
- Trustee Mah sought to add a living wage reinstatement motion to the agenda.
- The chair ruled the item out of order on the basis that it relates to labor relations during active collective bargaining and belongs in a private meeting.
- Trustee Mah challenged the chair's ruling; the challenge was voted on without debate per Robert's Rules and the chair was sustained.
Vote
Public comments
Read all 2 statements
Transcript
13 segments
Oh, good point. Actually, I don't see that tonight. I appreciate you jumping in when you did. What would you like to make a change to?
I would like to add a motion that I had submitted previously. And that motion is about a reinstatement of the living wage. and that was not included in this agenda package. And I would like to ask that that item be placed on this agenda.
For some clarity, did you hear back why it was not included?
Chair, I did hear back, but I am now moving to amend the agenda to include that item. Okay, just one moment here.
Okay, thank you for that clarification, Secretary Treasurer. So because the motion was around labor relations, we are currently in the process of, sorry, trustees, is there something you'd like? Okay, perfect. So it is around labor relations. We are currently in collective bargaining. And so it would, it's not appropriate. It would be more appropriate to be done in a private meeting.
Okay. So, uh, secretary treasurer, do we need to read the, the motion title or just the fact that I've said, okay, wonderful. Uh, we have a challenge of the chair. I'm going to ask for a vote on sustaining the chair. All those.
Um, we have a challenge. Is there a seconder? Okay, we have a challenge. Okay, we'll go to a vote. It is not debated because it is not debated as per Robert's rules. So we'll go to a vote. I would challenge that ruling. Sure. So if it has to do with the agenda or confirming the agenda, Secretary Treasurer, would you please confirm?
My understanding of the Robert's Rules of Order is that a procedural matter is not subject to debate. It is simply stating what the challenges and then proceeding to the vote.
Chair. Yes, Trustee. So I had indicated that I wanted a specific motion on discussing the living wage reinstatement, right? So that will be recorded in the minutes as a request, right? And then... the proceedings will be recorded in the minutes. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct. The entire meeting is recorded. Those in favor of sustaining the chair.
Okay. Trustee Richardson, Chen, Freedcoat, Chen, Pedley and Fraser. Thank you. Those opposed. Okay. And I will abstain, but trustees Ma and ready opposed. Okay. So we'll move on to new business beginning with item 2.1.
We will ask now for an update on the 2026-27 financial plan engagement.
Statement Watch
Thank you very much, Chair. And I'm going to pass it over to Patricia McNeil, Director, to give you an update on the engagement. Thank you. Thank you. The engagement summary report included in this evening's package and posted to our website outlines input we received to assist in the board's consideration of the 2026-2027 financial plan. Engagement activities were grounded in our education plan, the framework for enhancing student learning, and follow best practice standards by the International Association of Public Participation, or IAB2. Input was sought from inherent rights holders, stakeholder groups, students, families, staff, and the broader public through a mix of methods and activities. The engagement period was open from January 12th to April 16th and included multiple opportunities such as meetings, workshops, and discussions with inherent rights holders and former stakeholder groups, as well as written submissions to the board, an online survey, which was available publicly and to staff, as well as students, and last week's Committee of the Whole meeting and public delegation meeting. Trustees received a copy of all written submissions on a weekly basis, as well as a copy of survey responses in early March. An interim summary report was available that first week of March as well. The report in your package this evening is an update to that interim report to include information about input and feedback received since early March. Across engagement activities, participants highlighted priorities related to classroom staffing and supports, a focus on student learning and course offerings, as well as schedules, learning resources, student wellbeing and mental health, inclusion and equity, facilities and school or learning environments, as well as supports to student families. It's important to note that priorities raised through this year's engagement reflect patterns that we've heard through previous year's financial planning, and I would be pleased to take any questions trustees may have.
Statement Watch
ELLIE WILSON- Thanks for the question through the chair. Our resource teachers in schools provide a variety of services. I think sort of to your question, they're responding to every student's individual education plan, and those vary across the needs of all students. So there would be small group work, there's push-in support that happen in classrooms, and it's all directed by a student's individual education plan. So those folks coming into our schools would need to familiarize themselves with those individual education plans and get up to speed about how to implement that. Certainly our school-based resource teachers could leave weekly, I would say, detailed plans about how they're working with students, but those would be constantly evolving plans. And I think... A lot of our folks who are sick for a day or two don't necessarily have those very detailed, detailed plans that would provide guidance to somebody. Certainly someone who's gonna be away could prepare that to support the work.
Do you have a follow-up? Go ahead.
Thank you. So if a teacher is absent, a resource teacher is absent and there is a TTOC in place for that, they won't have the full information of those particular cases for those students. Is that correct?
Through the chair, that is correct. They would have to take a bit of time to learn how to do that.