Pubdate: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 Source: Powell River Peak (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Peak Publishing Ltd. Contact: http://www.prpeak.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/734 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) AT SCHOOL BOARD Elementary Classes Near Capacity Enrolment is down by 120 students across School District 47 as of the start of the 2005-2006 school year. "We may be a little better off," said school superintendent Jay Yule at the September 13 board meeting. "We anticipate that that 120 may be closer to 100." School board chairwoman Pauline Galinski said numbers would not be finalized until the end of September. Yule also said that the region's elementary schools are all close to capacity, and that the reduction in students is about what was budgeted for last year. Powell River District Teachers' Association president Bruce Anderson asked whether the number of international students is down this year. Yule said the number is up a few from last year, but down from 2003-2004. Drug Policy Change A slight change has been made to School District 47's new drug and alcohol policy. In a section regarding a student's third offence, a meeting with a committee of the board will be required to determine terms of expulsion for the offending student. The policy at first included a meeting with the entire board for a student's third offence, but this did not allow for a process for appeal for parents. "We put it in on the advice of a lawyer," said Yule. Same Pay School District 47's annual trustee indemnity was reviewed for 2005-2006 in line with board policy and regulations. A comparison with Howe Sound, Comox and Sunshine Coast school districts came back with unchanged indemnities from the 2004-2005 school year. The chair's indemnity will once again be $13,196, the vice-chair's $11,275, and the trustees will take home $10,022 each. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D