At a budget committee meeting last Wednesday night (June 10), trustees recommended phasing out the reading program instead of eliminating it altogether next year. It also recommended phasing out computer software technicians, positions board staff had recommended eliminating almost entirely next year.
"Rather than cutting the reading programming and cutting the CSTs, the trustees wanted more of a transition," said board chair Diane Firman.
Trustees will vote on the recommendation at a final board meeting tomorrow (Wednesday).
Reading Recovery is a one-on-one teaching program that pairs the lowest level of readers in Grade One with specially trained teachers. The students get 30 minutes of specialized training each day. Throughout the ongoing budget process this year, SCDSB staff has recommended eliminating the program from next year's budget. Staff said the program was not cost-effective and did not reach enough students. The board also said local Reading Recovery students aren't retaining their improved literacy skills in subsequent grades.
Trustees questioned the necessity of ending Reading Recovery and said the board had already spent a considerable amount of money implementing it. They also heard from a retired Reading Recovery teacher who refuted the board's claims that the program was ineffective.
Staff had recommended expanding a new program, which used literacy coaches, but trustees were concerned with the lack of transition time to put the new plan into action.
At Wednesday's budget meeting, the committee recommended an amended budget that would see the board take $650,000 out of its reserves for Reading Recovery. The money would allow the board to keep on seven Reading Recovery teachers for next year, which would provide a buffer until 2011.
Originally, Reading Recovery was in only about half of the board's elementary schools. SCDSB business superintendent Carol McAulay said it wouldn't be clear how the reading teachers would be allocated throughout the board until the beginning of next year.
Trustees also recommended taking $240,000 out of a reserve fund to keep some computer software technicians. Board staff had recommended eliminating the jobs and replacing them with coaches that would train other teachers.
While the move might buy some transition time for the school board, it is not without a cost.
"It's taking a significant amount from our unallocated reserves," said McAulay. She said the board has been spending its reserves during the past few years, but with less funding because of declining enrollment the reserves have not been regenerating. McAulay said that because this is a one-time initiative, it was an appropriate use of reserve funds.
E-mail reporter Kurtis Elsner at kelsner@simcoe.com.
