New governance model brings changes to WRDSB meetings

By Amanda Modaragamage

The Ontario government made changes to the law through Bill 98, the Better Schools and Outcomes Act, 2023, holding school board members more accountable for attendance and participation in committees of the whole meetings.

The province stated that the goal was to enhance accountability and transparency in school board decision-making. As a result of this change, the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) reviewed and revised its governance model to comply with the new attendance rules.

“The WRDSB expects the new governance model to support deeper discussions,” the board said in an emailed statement. “More focused discussions should strengthen public trust in policies and procedures, an outcome which aligns with the direction from the Ministry of Education.”

The WRDSB’s ad-hoc committee approved a new structure earlier this year; instead of committees of the whole, the board now has three standing committees:

Business services (finance, budgets, operations)

Policy and governance (rules, policies, board operations)

Student achievement and wellbeing (education quality, student supports)

“This gives more opportunity for questions to be asked and answered. As a result, the discussions will be more detailed and specialized,” the board said.

Trustees are assigned, based on choice, to specific committees, allowing for more in-depth discussions supported by their expertise. Committees make recommendations that then go to the full board for final approval.

All WRDSB meetings remain open to the public, with delegations now heard at the committee level. Meetings will no longer be livestreamed but will be recorded and posted online.

More information on attending or viewing standing committee meetings can be found on the WRDSB website, www.wrdsb.ca.