Board Meeting Highlights - June 16, 2026

Posted on 06/16/2026

Chair Jane Thomson began the meeting with a reflection honouring all the work and accomplishments that defined the 2025-2026 school year through the efforts of students, staff, parents, guardians, partners, and volunteers. Trustees, student trustees, and student senators were thanked for their hard work, advocacy, and strong commitment to public education even in the face of uncertainty. There was also acknowledgement of losses experienced in some of our school communities this past school year and the families impacted. Good luck was extended to graduates and retiring staff, and all were wished a safe, enjoyable, and restful summer.  

Awards of Excellence 2025-2026
Trustees presented the Awards of Excellence, an annual school year-end tradition recognizing outstanding contributions made by community members whose efforts to support student success exemplify Bluewater District School Board’s mission and values in action. From initiatives that foster student well-being and engagement, nutrition program involvement, and classroom help, to school council participation, event and fundraiser coordination, and support for inclusive athletics, the following recipients from each ‘family of schools’ were honoured:

Bruce Peninsula District School /
Peninsula Shores District School Family of Schools..........Connie Tackaberry
Georgian Bay Community School Family of Schools..........Theresa Quinn
Grey Highlands Secondary School Family of Schools..........Erin Goodyear
John Diefenbaker Senior School Family of Schools..........Paul Neuman
Kincardine District Senior School Family of Schools..........Brandon Kushnir
Owen Sound District Secondary School Family of Schools..........Melissa Davy
Saugeen District Senior School Family of Schools..........Katherine Reynolds-Tew
Walkerton District Community School Family of Schools..........Amanda Inglis

Provincial, National, and International Award Recognition 2025-2026
Students and staff whose achievements extended beyond the local level to the provincial and national stages this past school year were highlighted in a special report. From history, science, and mathematics, to athletics, skilled trades, and social justice, these successes reflect a commitment to excellence in learning, leadership, and innovation across Bluewater. Those whose support and encouragement contributed to this success, including educators, coaches, families, and community members, were also acknowledged for their efforts.

Multi-Year Strategic Plan Priorities Update 2025-2026
A deep dive into the strategies and actions implemented within the past school year to support the board’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan focused on the following three priority areas. Goals and outcomes were shaped by a new operational plan.

Priority 1 – Safe and Supportive Learning Community: strengthening trauma-informed and inclusive practices to enhance student well-being, belonging, and learning across BWDSB.

Areas of focus included training for system staff, school administrators, and educational assistants in Collaborative Problem Solving, operationalizing the Mental Health and Addictions Strategic Plan, and student-led youth wellness champions in secondary schools.

Priority 2 – Quality Education: empowering every student to navigate a personalized pathway to graduation and advancing student achievement in literacy and mathematics.

Areas of focus included improving the quality of elementary teaching and learning through new instructional frameworks, instructional coaches for targeted schools, and teacher training. In secondary, there was a focus on supporting pathways to graduation by ensuring consistent tracking processes for students to meet requirements, strengthened personalized pathway planning and transitions, and expanding access to credit-earning opportunities.

Priority 3 – Aligning Resources to Support Student Success: improving the mental health and well-being of BWDSB employees by focusing on increasing engagement, and aligning human, technological and financial resources to maximize operational efficiencies and manage risk.

Areas of focus included a new Staff Attendance Steering Committee to support staff engagement and attendance, development of an Attendance Support Program, and a process for automating forms to reduce workload for schools and office professionals. New procedures and structures were explored to determine cost/benefit or return-on-investments, and changes to staffing and personnel reflected a commitment to differentiating supports based on school, student, and community needs.

Next steps will centre on strengthening coherence across the system, deepening implementation, and ensuring that actions translate into measurable improvements in student achievement and well-being. This will involve several key areas focused on strengthening instructional consistency and quality, leadership development and system capacity, implementation of the board’s AI strategy, and supporting well-being and engagement.

Governance Standing Committee Update
The following items presented at the meeting held on June 2, 2026, were approved.

Field trip
John Diefenbaker Senior School Greece and Italy Cultural Field Trip, February 18-27, 2028, contingent that it aligns with all travel advisories at the time of the trip

Policies (as revised for system use)
BP 3301-D “Naming of School and Board Facilities”
BP 4620-D “Investment Scholarships, Bursaries, and Award Trust Funds”
BP 6501-D “Transportation”
BP 3501-D “Purchasing”
BP 1802-D “Student Senate”
BP 2105-D “Environmental Sustainability”
BP 2108-D “Outdoor Education”
BP 5902-D “Community Education”
BP 6950-D “Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)”

Business and Facilities Standing Committee Update / 2026-2027 Budget Passed
The report from the meeting held on June 2, 2026, included a presentation detailing the revenue, expenses, and reserve contribution for 2026-2027.

Trustees approved the 2026-2027 Budget in the amount of $299,163,285 in revenues, $299,114,654 in expenses, and $48,631 in net reserve contributions.

Student Senate Report
Student Trustee Esha Gill presented a report on the many activities occurring across Bluewater at an especially busy time of year.

In athletics, secondary schools have enjoyed strong seasons in girls’ and boys’ soccer, rugby, and track and field. There have been great performances at CWOSSA and two track and field medals brought home from OFSAA.

Students have excelled in the arts and skilled trades through participation in the Ontario Music Festivals Association and provincial skills competitions, earning recognition and hardware for our board.

In science, six students advanced to the Canada-Wide Science Fair resulting in a silver medal and other awards for Bluewater. At the Nuclear Innovation Institute’s fourth annual Science Olympics, Georgian Bay Community School placed second overall.

Several secondary schools hosted Relay for Life events this past month, raising tens of thousands of dollars for cancer research.

This year’s Student Senate Initiative focused on Invisible Disability Awareness, which included the creation of promotional and awareness materials to help educate peers and build understanding and inclusion across schools.

The two student trustees recently joined approximately 100 of their peers across Ontario at the OSTA-AECO Annual General Meeting in Toronto, where they participated in workshops, heard from guest speakers, and connected with student leaders.

To mark the first anniversary, Walkerton District Community School hosted a memorial event supported by their Youth Wellness Champions to honour the four students and one teacher who were lost in May 2025. Acknowledgement was also shared of students from other schools whose lives were lost this past year with thoughts extended to their families and loved ones.

As a final note, the Student Senate shared thanks for the opportunity to serve and represent the student voice over the past year.


View the meeting agenda and reports.

View the video recording of the meeting.

Next Governance Standing Committee Meeting – Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Next Regular Meeting of the Board – Tuesday, September 22, 2026