Laurie Watt Barrie Advance Dec 21, 2010
SIMCOE COUNTY - With hot topics like school closures and cuts to school budgets, a school board meeting could make for a good night’s entertainment.
And for the first time in more than a decade, it’s possible to watch the Simcoe County District School Board trustees in action live.

“We now have the ability to video stream the board meetings,” said board communications manager Debbie Clarke.
“It provides us with another option and another communication avenue to reach our public. Simcoe County is a large area, and the education centre is in the geographic centre, but that still means to come to a meeting can be a bit of a trek. This gives (interested parents and taxpayers) the opportunity to watch the meeting from the comfort of their homes, especially given the weather we’ve been having.”
The board has been posting its meeting schedule, agendas and reports online, as well as meeting highlights.
The video stream – which also includes a video archive – completes the information package, said Clarke.
“It complements what we already have,” she said of the initiative that began with the Dec. 6 pre-inaugural meeting. “The video stream allows people to hear the discussion, to view the meeting and to see more and know more than what motions pass. (Viewers) are watching the discussion unfold and see voting take place.”
To access the video stream, the board posts a link to the video when the meeting is taking place; that link can be accessed on the board’s homepage at www.scdsb.on.ca. Up to 50 people may watch the meeting, and viewers may access the meeting video any time during the meeting.
Afterwards, the meetings are archived online, at http://scdsb.on.ca/board-highlights/meetingsreports.
Clarke added board meetings often include presentations to outstanding staff and students – and these will also be in the videos too.
“It gives us another opportunity to celebrate the presentations and trustee tributes, when we recognize staff and students for the contributions they make to education,” she said.
Board meetings usually take place the fourth Wednesday of each month. January’s has been rescheduled to Jan. 19, to allow trustees to attend provincial symposiums that begin Jan. 26 and end Jan. 29.