January 16, 2018

To Board of Education (Public Meeting)

From Kevin Godden, Superintendent/CEO

Re 2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Board of Education serve Notice of Motion that the 2018-2019 Local School Calendar(s) will be
presented for debate and vote at a regular meeting of the Board to be held on February 27, 2018.

BACKGROUND:

Section 87.01 (7) of the School Act (attached) no longer sets a Standard School Calendar, and thus provides
districts with expanded latitude in setting their local calendar(s), based on the total hours of instruction
established by the Ministry of Education. The process undertaken by each school district in establishing their
calendar(s) also includes a requirement for consultation with union locals and parents. Notwithstanding this
consultation requirement, all applicable provisions of the district’s collective agreements must still be met. In
addition, Boards have the option to submit school calendars to cover up to three consecutive years.

Historically, the Abbotsford School District, with the agreement of the Abbotsford District Teachers’
Association (ADTA), has provided a two-week Spring Break, within our Local School Calendar. Unfortunately,
in spite of agreeing (in writing) to each of our Local School Calendars in the past, the union is currently grieving
our school calendars for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018. They are alleging that we have required them
to work too many minutes per day, in order to facilitate the two-week Spring Break. As such, the Board may
need to consider a return to a one-week Spring Break for 2018-2019. However, a two-week status quo option
has also been provided, but would require the agreement of the ADTA.

DISCUSSION:

Both of the attached options meet the prescribed minimum hours of instruction that a board must offer for
the 2018-2019 school year. Each calendar includes a two-week winter vacation, six non-instructional days and
four early dismissal days. Please note, in order to retain instructional time, students will be dismissed 10
minutes early, rather than one hour, as on the past early dismissal days. All of the above complies with the
teachers’ collective agreement. Remembrance Day in 2018 falls on a Sunday, accordingly, Monday November
12 has been designated as the day in lieu.
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 2

Calendar Option #1 features a one-week Spring Break, as per the teachers’ collective agreement, while
Option #2, includes a two-week Spring Break. The latter calendar has nine more minutes of instruction per
day for elementary and middle schools, ten minutes for secondary schools, to offset the additional days of
vacation, and still meet the minimum hours of yearly instruction, mandated by the Ministry of Education.

Option #1 (One Week Spring Break)

While typically scheduled on the same day, in order to be compliant with the teachers’ collective agreement,
the two half days (non-instructional) designated for administrative purposes, have been scheduled for the
afternoon of Tuesday September 4th and Friday September 21st. Students would still attend for half a day
(morning), on the first day of school, as well as the morning of September 21st.

March 18 to 22, 2019, has been designated for Spring Break, which unfortunately does not completely match
the other Lower Mainland school districts, since most have retained a two-week Spring Break. However, it is
our understanding that the Chilliwack School District, plans on returning to a one-week Spring Break.

2018-2019
• School begins the day after Labour Day (September 4)
• Two-week Christmas Holidays (December 24 to January 4)
• One-week Spring Break (March 18 to 22)
• Good Friday – April 19
• Easter Monday – April 22
• 185 days of instruction
• Hours of Instruction per day
Elementary = 285 minutes (4h 45m)
Middle = 287 minutes (4h 47m)
Secondary = 309 minutes (5h 9m)

Option #2 (Two Week Spring Break)

* This option would require the agreement of the ADTA, which has not been forthcoming to date.

This option is similar to the calendar structure we currently use, and would match most of the other Lower
Mainland school districts

2018-2019
• School begins the day after Labour Day (September 4)
• Two-week Christmas Holidays (December 24 to January 4)
• Two-week Spring Break (March 18 to 29)
• Good Friday – April 19
• Easter Monday – April 22
• 179 days of instruction
• Hours of Instruction per day
Elementary = 294 minutes (4h 54m)
Middle = 296 minutes (4h 56m)
Secondary = 319 minutes (5h 19m)
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 3

Timeline Considerations:
Given the current uncertainly, staff is recommending that the Board consider approving a calendar only for
the 2018-2019 school year. These draft calendars would be distributed to the public and our employee groups,
with the intention of soliciting their feedback. Ultimately, the objective will be to approve a calendar for
2018-2019 at the February 27, 2018 Board meeting. A proposed timeline is provided below:

Date Task
January 16, 2018 The Board selects tentative calendars / options (Notice of Motion)
January 17 to February 23, 2018 Public & employee consultation
February 13, 2018 Update the Board on feedback received to date & delegations
February 27, 2018 Board approves final calendar
March 6, 2018 Calendar submitted to the Ministry of Education
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 4

SCHOOL ACT

Division 2.1 – School Calendars

School calendar

87.01 (1) In this section, "school calendar year" means either of the following:

(a) the school year; 


(b) subject to subsection (4), a period of 12 consecutive months covered by a school calendar, if the
school calendar is not based on the school year. 


(2) A board must, in accordance with the regulations of the minister, prepare a school calendar for each
school in its school district for each school calendar year.

. (3) A school calendar prepared by a board under subsection (2)

. (a) need not be based on the school year but, subject to subsection (4), must cover 
 a period of 12
consecutive months, 


. (b) must set out all of the information prescribed by the minister, 


. (c) may include variations for one or more groups of students in a school, and 


. (d) may include any other information that the board considers necessary. 


. (4) A school calendar must cover a period of more than 12 consecutive months if 
 necessary to ensure
that it applies immediately on the expiration of the previous school calendar.

(5) A board must submit to the minister a school calendar prepared under subsection (2) at least 3 months
before the expiration of the current school calendar unless the board has made available to the public a school
calendar under subsection (9) for the next school calendar year.

(6) A board may, at the same time, submit to the minister up to 3 school calendars prepared under subsection
(2) for each of up to 3 consecutive school calendar years.

(7) Before submitting a school calendar or school calendars, as applicable, under subsection (5) or (6), the
board must, in accordance with the regulations of the minister, consult with parents of the students enrolled in
the school and representatives of employees of the board assigned to the school.

(8) If, in the opinion of the minister, a school calendar or school calendars, as applicable, submitted by a
board under subsection (5) or (6) do not comply with the regulations of the minister, the minister

. (a) may amend the school calendar or school calendars, as applicable, within 30 days of receiving the
school calendar or school calendars, as applicable, under subsection (5) or (6), and 


. (b) must notify the board of any amendments made under paragraph (a) as soon as practicable. 


(9) Subject to subsection (10), a board must, at least one month before the expiration of the current school
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 5

calendar, make available to the public the school calendar or school calendars, as applicable, submitted to the
minister under subsection (5) or (6).

(10) If the minister amends a school calendar under subsection (8), a board must, at least one month before
the expiration of the current school calendar, make available to the public the school calendar amended under
that subsection.

(11) Subsections (9) and (10) do not apply to a board if the board has previously made available to the public
a school calendar under subsection (9) for the next school calendar year.

School calendar — amendment

87.02(1) A board may, in accordance with the regulations of the minister, amend a school calendar made
available to the public by the board under section 87.01 (9) or (10) if, in the opinion of the board, an
amendment is necessary.

(2) A school calendar amended under subsection (1) must comply with section 87.01 (3) and the regulations
of the minister.

(3) The board must, as soon as practicable and, in any event, within 30 days of amending a school calendar
under subsection (1), make available to the public the amended school calendar.

Requirement to comply with school calendar

87.03 A board must operate each school in its district in accordance with the following:

. (a) the applicable school calendar made available to the public under section 87.01 
 (9) or (10); 


. (b) if the board amended the school calendar under section 87.02, the amended 
 school calendar made
available to the public under section 87.02 (3).

BC Ministry of Education


Governance and Legislation Branch C-73 October 2, 2017

2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 6

SCHOOL CALENDAR REGULATION
Authority: School Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 412, ss. 87.01, 87.02
and 168.02

B.C. Reg. 314/12 ........................................................................Deposited November 8, 2012 Amended by

B.C. Reg. 203/2015 ...............................................Deposited November 4, 2015

Amended by B.C. Reg. 211/2016.....................................................Deposited August 3, 2016

Application of Regulation


1 This regulation applies to the school calendar for the 2013/2014 school year and subsequent school years.

Definitions


2 In this regulation:

"Act" means the School Act;


"day of instruction" means, in respect of any school, a day in a school calendar year in which students
receive instruction in an educational program;


"days in session" means, in respect of any school, the days in a school calendar year on which the principal,
vice principals, directors of instruction and teachers of the school are scheduled to be available for
instructional, non-instructional or administrative activities;

"non-instructional day" means, in respect of any school, a day in session in a school calendar year that is
not a day of instruction;


“non-instructional period” means, in respect of any school, a period of time in a day in session in a school
calendar year during which students do not receive instruction.

Prescribed minimum hours of instruction

3 (1) Subject to subsection (4), the following are the prescribed minimum hours of instruction that a board
must offer to students enrolled in the schools in its school district in the 2015/2016 school year:

(a) 843 hours of instruction for students in kindergarten;

(b) 868 hours of instruction for students in grades 1 to 7;

(c) 942 hours of instruction for students in grades 8 to 12.

(2) Subject to subsection (4), the following are the prescribed minimum hours of instruction that a board must
offer to students enrolled in the schools in its district in the 2016/2017 school year and the 2017/2018 school
year:
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 7

(a) 848 hours of instruction for students in kindergarten;

(b) 873 hours of instruction for students in grades 1 to 7;

(c) 947 hours of instruction for students in grades 8 to 12.

(3) Subject to subsection (4), the following are the prescribed minimum hours of instruction that a board must
offer to students enrolled in the schools in its school district in the 2018/2019 school year and subsequent
school years:

(a) 853 hours of instruction for students in kindergarten;

(b) 878 hours of instruction for students in grades 1 to 7;

(c) 952 hours of instruction for students in grades 8 to 12.

(4) There are no prescribed minimum hours of instruction that a board must offer to students enrolled in a
distributed learning school

Prescribed information in school calendars

4 (1) For the purposes of section 87.01(3) (b) [school calendar] of the Act, the following information is
prescribed in respect of a school calendar for a school that is not a distributed learning school:

(a) subject to subsection (3), the number and dates of the days in session;


(b) subject to subsection (3), the number and dates of each day of instruction;

(c) the vacation periods and the dates of statutory holidays;


(d) the dates of each non-instructional day;


(e) the number of hours of instruction offered to students in each grade.

(2) For the purposes of section 87.01(3) (b) of the Act, the following information is prescribed in respect of a
school calendar for a distributed learning school:

(a) the number and dates of the days in session; 


(b) the dates on which the principal, vice principals, directors of

instruction and 
 teachers of the school are available for instruction; 


(c) the vacation periods and the dates of statutory holidays. 


(3) A board is not required to include in a school calendar the information described in subsection (1) (a) and
(b) if the days are for optional or remedial learning activities scheduled during vacation periods.

Consultations
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 8

5 (1) For the purposes of section 87.01 (7) [school calendar] of the Act, a board must make publicly available
a school calendar that it proposes to submit to the minister under section 87.01 (5) or (6) of the Act at least
one month before the date the school calendar must be submitted to the minister.

(2) The board must provide an opportunity to


(a) the parents of the students enrolled in each school to which the proposed school calendar is to
apply, and


(b) representatives of employees of the board assigned to the school to provide comments to the board
with respect to the school calendar made publicly available under subsection (1).

(3) For certainty, subsections (1) and (2) do not apply in respect of a school calendar that has been amended
based on comments previously provided under subsection (2).

Amending a school calendar

6 (1) For the purposes of section 87.02 [school calendar – amendment] of the Act, a board must make
publicly available proposed amendments to a school calendar at least one month before making the
amendments.

(2) A board must, as soon as practicable and, in any event, within 30 days of amending a school
calendar under section 87.02 of the Act, provide the minister with the amended school calendar.

(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a board that reschedules a non-instructional day previously
scheduled in a school calendar if the board gives notice of the change to

(a) the parents of the students enrolled in the school to which the proposed change is to apply,
and

(b) the representatives of employees of the board assigned to the school.

(4) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to a board that amends a school calendar for the 2015/2016
school year to include the non-instructional periods required under section 8(1) (b) [designation of purpose
for non-instructional days and periods] and instead the board must, as soon as practicable and, in any event,
within 30 days of amending a school calendar under section 87.02 of the Act,

(a) provide the minister with the amended school calendar, and

(b) make publicly available the amended school calendar

Form of school calendar

7 A board must use the school calendar forms published by the minister to


(a) submit one or more school calendars to the minister under section 87.01 [school calendar]
of the Act, and

2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 9

(b) provide an amended school calendar to the minister under section 6 (2) of this regulation.

Designation of purpose for non-instructional days and periods

8 (1) REPEALED BC Reg. 211/16, effective August 3, 2016

(2) A board must schedule the following in each of the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 school years for the
purpose of providing teachers with an opportunity to participate in discussions and activities relating to the
implementation of the curriculum documents listed in section 2 and Appendix 1 of the Educational Program
Guide Order, M333/99:

(a) one non-instructional day;


(b) one or more non-instructional periods totalling 5 hours.

(3) For certainty, the non-instructional periods referred to in subsection (2) (b) may be scheduled on
different days.

(4) For certainty, nothing in subsection (2) prevents a board from providing an opportunity for parents
of students attending schools in the district, other employees of the board and members of the community to
participate in the non-instructional days or periods described in those subsections

BC Ministry of Education


Governance and Legislation Branch D-54 October 2, 2017

2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 10

ARTICLE D.23 HOURS OF WORK

1. No elementary teacher shall be required to offer instruction for more than four
(4) hours and forty-five (45) minutes per day, and may not exceed twenty-
three (23) hours and forty-five (45) minutes per five (5) day week, including
preparation time and excluding a daily recess of not less than fifteen (15)
minutes. No secondary teacher shall be required to offer instruction for more
than five (5) hours and nine (9) minutes per day, and may not exceed twenty-
five (25) hours and forty-five (45) minutes per five (5) day week, including
homeroom and preparation time. 


2. Full time secondary teachers shall be entitled to twelve and one-half per cent
(12.5%) of total instructional time for purposes of preparation. 


3. Full-time elementary teachers shall be entitled to one hundred (100) minutes

per week (one hundred and ten (110) minutes per week effective June 30,
2019) for purposes of preparation, this preparation time will be in a
minimum of twenty-five (25) minute blocks with no more than one (1) block
of less than twenty-five (25) minutes.

. 4. Preparation time of part-time teachers of three-eighths (0.375) FTE or more

shall be pro-rated. 


. 5. A teacher's instructional assignment shall be defined as time during the

instructional week devoted to teaching courses and lessons, and shall include
time assigned to supervise curricular activities, including study periods. 


. 6. School starting hours shall be between 0800h and 0930h (8:00 a.m. and 9:30
a.m.) and shall be continuous for no more than six (6) hours and thirty (30)
minutes secondary, or six (6) hours elementary, or other such arrangements
as agreed between the parties. With the agreement of the teacher, instruction
in some specialized programs may have a different starting time but the
teacher shall, in any case, work on a continuous basis as per Article D.23.1.
The instructional assignment of such teachers shall be within six (6)
continuous hours for elementary and seven (7) continuous hours for
secondary. 


. 7. Each teacher shall be allowed the uninterrupted time for lunch during the
2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 11

school‘s regularly scheduled lunch break. The school‘s lunch break shall be a
minimum one-half hour (0.5h). 


ARTICLE D.25 REGULAR WORK YEAR

1. Pursuant to the Standard School Calendar established by legislation and
regulation (Appendix A):
. a. the regular work year shall be scheduled from and include the Tuesday after
Labour Day to the last Friday in June of the following year, except if the last
Friday in June falls on or before June 25 the last work day of the year will be
June 30. Work days shall not include Saturday or Sunday. The regular work
year consists of days on which instruction is offered to students, professional
development days, administrative days and non- instructional days. 


. b. Teachers shall be entitled to all statutory holidays, Winter Break and Spring
Break. 


c. The first day of Winter Break shall be on the Monday preceding December 26.
School shall reopen on the Monday following January 1 unless January 1 is a
Saturday or Sunday then school shall reopen the following Tuesday.
d. The first day of Spring Break shall be the third Monday in March. School shall
reopen on the fourth Monday in March. If the fourth Monday in March is Easter
Monday, school shall reopen on the Wednesday following the fourth Monday in
March.
2.The regular work year for teachers shall include:

a. no fewer than five (5) non-instructional days for professional development

according to guidelines developed by the committee established
pursuant to Article F.20.4 Professional Development Funding. 


b. two (2) half days for administrative purposes; 


c. two (2) half days for parent/teacher interviews; 


2018-2019 Local School Calendar Notice of Motion – Staff Report
January 16, 2018 Page 12

d. on the first day of school students shall be in attendance for up to one-half

(1/2) day. 


e. The Board shall shorten no fewer than four (4) school days of a school by
not more than one (1) hour for the purpose of facilitating
parent/teacher interviews related to student progress. 


f. One (1) day for year-end administrative duties on the last work day of the
work year. Students will not be in attendance. 


3.Nothing in this article shall prevent the Board from offering, or a teacher from
accepting, a fixed- sum contract for a specific project provided the
Association receives prior notice of all such projects and the project does not
consist of or include work of a kind that would normally be performed by a
teacher. 


4.For the purpose of introducing Primary 1 (Kindergarten) students to school,

teachers of Primary 1 (Kindergarten) in consultation with the Administrative
Officer, shall be entitled to design and implement a gradual entry program
involving altered hours and the phasing in of small groups of children for the
first five (5) days after the opening of school. 


5.No teacher shall suffer loss of pay in the event of a Board ordered closure of a
work site. 


a. In the event that student attendance is cancelled and the schools are open, every
reasonable attempt will be made by the teacher to attend their school. If any teacher
cannot attend he/she will inform their supervising Administrative Officer. Failure
of the teacher to inform their supervising Administrative Officer may result in the
loss of a day's pay or portion thereof.
6. Should the Board wish to implement a local school calendar that differs in dates
from the Standard School Calendar, that local school calendar shall be negotiated
with the Association's negotiating team and ratified by the Association. The local
school calendar shall be consistent with all other terms and conditions of the
collective agreement other than dates for days of work.
SD No. 34 (Abbotsford) & ADTA Collective Agreement July 1, 2013-June 30, 2019 Page 55