Highlights from the September 9th UCDSB Board of Trustees Meeting

Brockville – Trustees with the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) met on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.

Key items discussed in the public session are as follows:

Board Welcomes 2026-2027 Student Trustees:

Student Trustees Ava Andress from Thousand Islands Secondary School and Grant Emmell from South Grenville District High School were formally sworn in. Each signed their declaration, made their public oath of allegiance, and then joined Trustees at the board table.

Selected by members of the Student Senate in February 2026, the pair will participate in regular UCDSB Board of Trustees meetings, providing reports to the Board on their activities as Student Trustees. They will also serve as Co-Chairs of the Student Senate.

Student Achievement Numbers on the Rise at UCDSB:

Chief Education Officer Shelley Riddell provided Trustees with an update regarding Reading, Writing, Math and Student Success. Data from the 2025-26 school year shows achievement markers such as EQAO scores and graduation rates continue to trend upward. The focus for the 2026-27 school year is to continue implementing strategies that have the greatest impact on student achievement and growth, based on data.

For example, building fluency in foundational math skills, small group instruction, and short learning cycles, so there is time to identify the learning need, respond, check progress, and adjust. Additionally, attendance, engagement, and semester transitions at the secondary level will be a focus, so concerns can be addressed before they become barriers to success.

Riddell highlighted that the overall UCDSB graduation rate for the UCDSB is 91.7 percent, a number that has consistently gone up over the last three years.

Chair of the Board Jamie Schoular applauded educators and students for their hard work related to increasing achievement in reading, writing and math, and thanked families for supporting their children at home.

Riddell also reported on the Indigenous Student Survey, which was completed last school year by self-identified Indigenous students.

The survey found that:

• 71% of respondents reported feeling accepted and connected at school,
• 94% reported seeing their identity represented some or most of the time, and
• 97% reported that their culture is represented positively.

While these are positive numbers, the UCDSB recognizes efforts need to continue to ensure our Indigenous students feel a sense of connection and belonging a school.

Student and Family Support Office Sees Successful Launch:

Chief Education Officer Shelley Riddell provided trustees with an update regarding the UCDSB’s Student and Family Support Office. The office became fully operational on September 1, 2026, and information was shared with staff and families outlining how to access the office and what to expect.

The goal is to provide families with a clear and consistent process that is easy for families to navigate should they have concerns about their child at school. Inquiries received by the Student and Family Support Office are acknowledged within two business days, with the goal of providing a response, or identifying the next steps, within five business days. If additional time is required, families are kept informed.

Financial Risks Reduced Through Collaborative Transportation Planning:

Chief Business Officer Jeremy Hobbs provided an update on the progress the UCDSB, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) and the Student Transportation of Eastern Ontario (STEO), have made in aligning with the new provincial funding formula.​

Over the past two years, efforts have reduced the projected 2027-28 deficit for STEO from $16 million to $4.6 million and reduced STEO’s reliance on transition funding from $20 million in 2023-24 to under $8 million in 2026-27.​

Hobbs explained that since STEO has now aligned services with the provincial funding formula, the consortium’s next steps will be to focus on securing contracts with private sector bus companies that align with the funding formula and provincial norms.

Additionally, the UCDSB continues to build strategies to address continued financial risk arising from transportation and other areas, as per direction from the Ministry of Education.

Full details on presentations, reports, and discussions can be found in the agenda or reviewed in the recorded broadcast