Corporate departments at the Durham Catholic District School Board include Business and Finance Services, Communication Services, Facilities Services, Human Resource Services, Information and Communications Technology and Transportation Services. Corporate services efforts directly support faith and well-being, advance human rights and equity, and improve student learning. These departments work to build system capacity and implement policies, procedures, and practices to ensure optimal efficiency.
Highlights and accomplishments from the 2023-2024 school year include:
- Business and Finance Services: Despite the funding pressures and financial challenges facing school boards across Ontario, Durham Catholic District School Board has been successful in delivering a balanced budget for both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years that aligns with the board’s Inspire 2026 multi-year plan and Ministry of Education directives.
- Communications Services: In the 2023-2024 school year, Communications Services supported open, transparent and timely communications with staff, families, and the community. In addition, the department expanded community consultation efforts by facilitating the use of multiple feedback and engagement methods. Supporting the creation of accessible communication materials was also a focus, with training, resources and supports produced so staff are empowered to create accessible materials and incorporate accessibility features into videos, meetings, etc.
- Facilities Services:
- A new wing was built at St. Anne Catholic School that created an additional 184 student spaces, through the support of a $4.8 million investment from the Ontario Government. The new addition at St. Anne Catholic School in Oshawa opened on Monday, January 8, 2024.
- The Ministry of Education announced funding for a 138-pupil, six-classroom addition to St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School and a new 622 pupil place Catholic elementary school in the Kedron area of Oshawa to address accommodation pressure.
- Planning for the replacement Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School and new Unnamed Seaton Catholic Elementary School was completed in the 2023-2024 school year, with construction expected to begin in the 2024-2025 school year and continue through 2025-2026.
- The approved program and boundary revisions that were a result of the Oshawa Program and Boundary Study (approved by the Board of Trustees on June 19, 2023) began to be implemented in the 2023-2024 school year.
- The Board of Trustees renewed the Educational Development Charges (EDC) by-law with an effective date of May 1, 2024, for the next five years. The new EDC by-law includes an approximate 6% non-residential charge, and 94% residential charge.
- Sustainability and energy conservation are important initiatives to support the financial and environmental goals of the board. The board has developed five-year Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan (2023-2024 – 2027-2028) with the goal of reducing the energy intensity by 15% through various initiatives.
- Through the leadership of the Stewards of Sustainability committee and facilities services staff, the board has been able to support 26 schools in their EcoSchools certification and seven schools participating in the program for 2023-2024.
- An aggressive energy conservation strategy by Facilities Services staff will see the completion of the last 11 schools to upgrade the interior lighting to LED and have been able to save over 2 million kWh of electricity per year.
- Human Resource Services:
- The DCDSB is proud to have been recognized on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers in 2024, and was listed as the highest-ranking school board in Ontario. Canada's Best Employers in 2024 were identified through a partnership between Forbes and market research firm Statista. An independent survey from a vast sample of over 40,000 Canada-based employees working for companies employing at least 500 people within Canada was completed. Over 900,000 employer evaluations were considered, and the DCDSB is pleased to be amongst the top employers based on employee feedback and public opinion.
- Human Resource Services established and implemented recruitment strategies to ensure the board has sufficient staffing with the knowledge and skills required to provide excellence in Catholic education. The renewed recruitment strategies included digital promotions, advertisements, expanded career fair attendance, collaboration with Ontario universities and colleges, and partnerships with community organizations. The recruitment strategies largely focused on increasing the diversity of the DCDSB workforce to reflect the communities we serve.
- Information and Communications Technology Services:
- Through the implementation of the Multi-Year Technology Plan and Technology Equalization Strategy, we achieved a 2:1 student-to-device ratio across all DCDSB schools. This milestone ensures that every two students share one device, fostering innovative learning opportunities. Additionally, we piloted a 1:1 mobile device ratio at one of our secondary schools, allowing us to evaluate the benefits and challenges of this approach.
- We deployed over $1 million worth of technology for students in the classroom, which has significantly enhanced their learning experiences and access to digital resources.
- We upgraded the internet bandwidth at all schools to meet the increasing demands of technology usage, ensuring that students and staff have reliable and fast internet access for their educational needs.
- We completed the implementation of Multi-Factor Authentication on all applications to strengthen our cyber security posture. Additionally, we provided cyber security training to all board employees and successfully executed a Business Impact Analysis, highlighting our commitment to protecting sensitive information and maintaining a secure digital environment.
- Multi-Year Accessibility Plan: a renewed 2023-2028 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan was prepared by the DCDSB Accessibility Committee over the 2023-2024 school year through a comprehensive consultation and engagement process. The renewed plan describes the measures that the board has taken in the past; and the measures that the board will implement during the period of 2023-2028 to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.
- Transportation Services: in the 2023-2024 school year, Durham Student Transportation services successfully introduced the new mTransport system. This electronic software replaced the paper-based manifest on 70 passenger busses and will enhance student safety and enable routing efficiencies.
We invite you to learn more about the strategic goals and actions accomplished in our 2023-2024 Year-End Report.
2023-2024 Student Achievement Plan Year-End Report
