With the first bell of a new school year set to ring Tuesday, Delta School District staff are busy preparing for the arrival of students.
This past week has been a busy one, according to superintendent Doug Sheppard, with maintenance staff going into overdrive to ensure buildings are ready for students and teachers.
“Facilities-wise, this is a busy week. The floors are all getting waxed, classrooms are getting a final clean and teachers are all in their classrooms preparing,” Sheppard said. “Principals are also back at their schools. It’s all hands on deck.”
Throughout the summer the district completed a number of renovations and major maintenance work that can’t be done with students and staff inside.
“The summer is the time when you can get in and address some of those bigger projects and they are timed to wrap up by the end of summer when staff and students are getting ready to return,” he said. “I think when staff and students return to their schools there will be some nice surprises.”
With the exception of a small seismic upgrade in North Delta, that work is now complete district-wide, which is a relief to all students and staff, said school board chair Laura Dixon.
Dixon said although there are no capital projects on the books, the board plans to seek other provincial funding opportunities.
“On an ongoing basis there is the process to apply for facilities grants, which could be anything from roofing to flooring to heating units to help maintain our facilities. I think we are in good shape with our two high schools, but we do have aging buildings in some of our other school sites and those will be looked at as we move along,” Dixon said.
“One of the areas we would like to address is our playgrounds, other amenities and things like athletic tracks. One of the specific projects that was mentioned during the election campaign by our now Delta North MLA Ravi Kahlon was a track at North Delta Secondary, so we want to engage with the government.”
Both Sheppard and Dixon say there have been no challenges working with the new government so far.
“It is, of course, early days and we have not heard a Throne Speech, but so far the messaging has been very positive,” said Dixon. “Over the summer there have been some brief meetings between staff and superintendents, between the minister and board chairs over the phone. We have more meetings planned in October, but really, we see positive and encouraging messages about support for the public education system that we are very glad to hear.”
As for teachers, Sheppard said the district is implementing the plan that was agreed to by the government in the spring.
“Our human resources department has probably been busier this summer than last, but they have been doing a fantastic job,” he said. “One of our biggest challenges is to ensure we have all of our teachers in place in the classrooms to meet our kids on day one, but also a very robust teachers teaching on call list to make sure we have support for teachers for illness or professional development as the year moves along.”
Sheppard said the district won’t have a final tally on the number of teachers hired until October.
Enrollment is expected to be about the same as last year with just over 15,000 students in classes.
Delta’s International Student Program continues to thrive with students expected to arrive from Europe, South America and Asia.
Sheppard said the district has signed an agreement with a town in Switzerland that will be sending 10 Grade 11 students for the new school year.
“It allows us to maintain a number of programs and initiatives in the district, but the student enrichment and the enhancement of the education experience on both sides is quite exceptional. We have a true global sense in our schools,” he said.
Sheppard said there have been lots of parents visiting schools to ensure they have all the necessary information.
“These parents may have moved within the district or are new to the district so they have specific questions, want to see the school and the classroom that they are in,” he added.
Dixon said she is looking forward to Tuesday.
“The new part is always fun and exciting for everyone. It’s been a wonderful summer, but everyone is eagerly awaiting the start of school.”
