KEMPTVILLE – Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario chair Chris Cummings was acclaimed for a second straight term as board chair. Cummings represents Brockville, Smiths Falls, and Leeds County at the trustee board.
Cornwall and Glengarry County Trustee Karen Torrie-Racine was elected as vice chair of the board. Both elections were held at the November 18 annual meeting as the two positions have one year terms.
“It is an honour to serve another term as Board Chair. I am continually inspired by this exceptional team, and I am grateful for your trust and unwavering dedication to our schools. I look forward to building on our progress in the year ahead and will continue to do my very best to represent this outstanding board,” Cummings said.
Torrie-Racine said she was honoured to be selected as vice chair.
“My involvement with the board began many years ago as an active parent in Cornwall, later serving on the Catholic Education Coalition and as the first Chair of the Parent Involvement Committee. Supporting Catholic education has always been close to my heart, and I am excited to take on this new leadership role alongside Chair Chris Cummings and my fellow trustees.”
Also at the meeting, trustees learned that the budgeted deficit for the board was less than expected.
The deficit for the 2024-25 school year was to be $558,000, and it was revealed at the meeting that it had decreased to $330,000.
The CDSBEO’s Manager of Finance Terri Adamthwaite said the deficit was planned initially due a new Enterprise Resource Planning software system for the board’s Human Resources, Finance and Payroll departments.
“This is not an operational deficit but a deficit for a deficit specific to the implementation of a specific project,” she said. “This should not be a concern.”
Staffing costs, along with utilities and operational costs continue to be financial pressures on the board.
Salaries and wages make up 64 per cent of the total $241.2 million budget. Salary costs added over $2.5 million to the budget than planned. Supply teaching staff costs also are affecting the budget.
Adamthwaite said that school fuding has not kept up with inflationary costs at the baord.
The board will receive more funding based on increased enrolment. The CDSBEO reported an additional 75 students in the board in 2024-25, with a majority of those new students attending secondary schools. The board is projecting a one per cent increase in enrolment for 2025-26.
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