Despite the school district’s policy committee labouring for months on updating policies about child abuse and how staff respond, trustee Mickey Kinakin believes the result falls short of what is needed.
He cited “a lot of shortcomings” in the wording presented at last week’s board of education meeting.
“There are a variety of things in the school act that are not mentioned,” Kinakin said without adding specifics. “We should, at least, add that the school act has primacy over our policy.”
Superintendent Jean Borsa responded that “all the concerns are covered” in the district protocol, and Mac Gregory added, “I have confidence the provisions of the school act will be followed to the letter.”
Kinakin was not mollified, however.
“I think this is another issue on which the board is ducking,” he responded. “Parents don’t go skulking around looking for the wording of the school act, they just check out board policy.”
“If we mean it,” he continued, “it should be readily seen in our policy.”
Borsa’s response indicated that Kinakin may be asking too much of board policies.
“I can appreciate what trustee Kinakin is saying, but this regulation isn’t about consequences (for abusers) it’s about the procedures we expect to be followed. Of course the school act is applied completely within our district.”
Kinakin’s objections lead to Bev Maloff to move that the policy and regulation be taken off the table and re-examined, which was approved.