INNISFAIL - The Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS) division is working on ways to increase transparency, including the possibility of live streaming board meetings starting in the new year, say officials
In his monthly report to trustees at the board’s recent meeting, chairman Kim Pasula said administration is examining options.
“To improve community engagement and communications as well as increase transparency, the board of trustees, had directed administration to investigate how best to go about making our meetings available online, either as one or both of livestreams or saved version to be posted for viewing post-event,” said Pasula.
“We expect that this new approach will be launched early in 2022.”
The RDCRS includes schools in Olds and Innisfail.
Meanwhile, in her monthly report to the board, superintendent Kathleen Finnigan said the division is on track to have the highest number of international student registrations ever recorded in RDCRS.
“We are benefiting from a significant increase in the number of agents that have chosen to work with and engage in formal agreements with Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools,” Finnigan said. “Red Deer Catholic International used the pandemic to proactively build a strengthened program.”
RDCRS currently has international students from many places, including Japan, China, Bangladesh, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Germany, Ghana, Chile, Nigeria, Hong Kong and the Philippines, she said.
Finnigan is continuing to spearhead stakeholder engagement and advocacy on behalf of RDCRS.
“A key area of focus has been to position myself as a strategic ambassador and connector off Catholicity within the division, but building strong and trusted relationships through the school and faith community, as well as in the Central Alberta community at large,” he said.
“Cultivating engagement, appreciation and understanding of the needs of the rural urban school communities are vital, with precedence on the strategic plan goals and priorities.”
Engagement and advocacy efforts currently underway include engaging in collaborative conversations with nineteen school teams, solicited feedback from the Indigenous Student Voice Panel, and connecting with MLAs at the Alberta School Board Association convention.
The board accepted the Pasula and Finnigan reports as information.
