CDSBEO Board Meeting Highlights – from the meeting held on Tuesday, December 18

Kemptville – Here are the CDSBEO board meeting highlights from the meeting held on Tuesday, December 18, 2025.

CDSBEO Week 2025

At the December 17 Board Meeting, the Religion Education team presented an overview of CDSBEO Week, which took place from October 6-10, to the Board of Trustees. This year’s initiative provided schools with a flexible suite of resources, allowing each community to engage with the theme in ways that were meaningful. Daily sub-themes, including compassionate listening, developing a caring community, spreading positivity, building friendships, and valuing everyone, guided a variety of activities, including prayers, art projects, acts of kindness, and community outreach.

Resources were tailored for elementary, secondary, and staff audiences, ensuring broad participation and spiritual growth. The week’s approach supported the Multi-Year Strategic Plan by fostering faith, inclusion, and a sense of belonging across all CDSBEO schools.

Mental Health Update

At the December 16 Board Meeting, Mental Health Lead Strategist Selina Mackie and Head Psychologist Dr. Krista Kiiffner presented information on how mental health programming is delivered at the CDSBEO. The Mental Health and Addictions Strategy 2025-2028 was purposefully designed to align with the CDSBEO Multi-Year Strategic Plan and is shaped in accordance with Ministry of Education requirements (PPM 169) and School Mental Health Ontario’s provincial strategy. Key elements include a multi-tiered system of supports, mental health literacy for staff, students, and families, suicide prevention protocols, and robust partnerships with community agencies serving children and youth. Mental health service delivery, as reflected in the strategy, is data-driven and reflects the perspective of many stakeholders. The annual Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan operationalizes the strategy, ensuring evidence-based, responsive programming.

Compliant Revised Financial Estimates

At the December 16 Board Meeting, Trustees approved the 2025-2026 Revised Estimates, which outline CDSBEO’s resource allocation for the remainder of this school year. The estimates align with the board’s strategic action to provide transparency and accountability regarding the allocation of board financial resources. Enrolment for 2025-2026 increased by 300 students to 14,088, a 4 per cent overall increase. Core education funding increased to reflect these enrolment changes. Staffing levels increased for both teaching and support staff groups to meet growing enrolment and program needs. The budget remains compliant with Ministry requirements and includes one-time investments from funds set aside in Accumulated Surplus for technology for students, temporary accommodation, and to complete the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software implementation. Key financial pressures remain and include staff replacement costs and inflation. The board continues to monitor expenditures and accumulated surplus to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency.