THE COUNTY, Ontario - The United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry is making access to quality education for SDG students a priority.
At its meeting in December, County councillors agreed to initiate a process that will see a consultant hired to help create a document that advocates for continued access to education, learning materials and resources for all students in SDG. As education is outside the realm of municipal operations, staff do not have the necessary expertise, contacts, or insight to develop a document that considers the needs of the entire region.
Development of such a document will further one of the strategic priorities of the County, being “Rural Schools – Educating Children in Their Communities."
"While education in Ontario is ultimately governed by the provincial government, it is our job at the local level to ensure that all of our students, young and old, have access to quality education," said Warden Frank Prevost. "We are addressing one of the key pillars in our strategic plan with this initiative. County council is looking forward to seeing the evolution of this plan over the weeks and months ahead."
In November 2019, a new strategic plan was adopted by County Council. As noted, one of the pillars of the plan relates to continued advocacy around the importance of maintaining a robust education system within the County, to maximize opportunities for our students to be educated locally.
Over the years, the County has taken every opportunity to advocate for the importance of a robust rural education system. For several years, delegations have been held at the annual AMO and ROMA conferences with the Minister of Education or Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister or Education.
Furthermore, the County has made representations to the Ministry about changes to the Pupil Accommodation Review (PAR) process, as well as providing direct input regarding the UCDSB PAR process undertaken several years ago.
To develop an impactful document that can be used to continue its advocacy efforts, a consultant, who is familiar with and has expertise in the education system, is being engaged.