Montreal School Service Centers and School Boards Ready for a Successful School Year

The  three school service centers on the Island of Montreal (SSC) — the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, and the Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île — along with the two school boards (SB) — the English Montreal School Board and the Lester B. Pearson School Board — held a joint press conference on August 22 to provide an update on the upcoming school year as they actively prepare to welcome students. They emphasized that all teams are working tirelessly as part of this annual operation.

Thoroughly Prepared

For several months, the administrations and staff of Montreal's school service centers and school boards have been meticulously planning and organizing the start of the school year. All teams are implementing the necessary actions to ensure that students have a good start to the school year.

Planning for the start of the school year requires complex coordination, including the recruitment and assignment of staff, management of student registrations, class composition, organization of school transportation, building improvements, and the adaptation of educational services to meet the specific needs of students. Every aspect of the school year is handled with care to ensure that students, teachers, professional staff, and support staff have the appropriate resources from day one.

Concrete Action to Address Back-to-School Challenges

A few days before the school year begins, Montreal's school service centers and school boards have filled 94.9 percent of teaching positions. In this context, the SSC and SB emphasize the sustained efforts made to meet this challenge.

Human resources teams are working intensively to recruit new teachers and ensure efficient staff assignments. Additionally, current staff, including those with bachelor’s degrees who have not yet obtained a teaching license, are receiving the necessary support and training to ensure that the quality of education meets the high standards of Quebec’s public school system.

A Strong Commitment to Educational Success

Montreal’s school service centers and school boards reaffirmed their commitment to developing the full potential of each student and ensuring their success. The combined efforts of school, school boards, and administrative service teams throughout the year demonstrate their dedication to providing the best possible experience for Montreal students.

The infrastructure work carried out this summer, with over 250 active construction projects, also illustrates this commitment. These projects, primarily focused on maintaining and improving facilities, are essential to ensuring safe and adequate learning environments. Montreal's SSC and SB are ready to welcome their students for this new school year, with a firm intention to continue their educational mission despite the challenges ahead. Each new school year is a renewed promise to offer the best to students, building a brighter collective future. This year is no exception. The passion and experience of the staff ensure a successful start to the school year.

Quotes:

"Our teams have worked with passion and rigour all summer to ensure that every student and staff member can experience a positive and inspiring start to the school year despite the significant challenges our organizations face. We are ready and eager to welcome our students into an environment conducive to their development and success."

Joe Ortona, Chair of the English Montreal School Board, and Judy Kelley, Chair of the Board of Commissioners of the Lester B. Pearson School Board

"Dedicated to the well-being and success of our students, teams are making every effort to ensure a smooth school year. This joint press conference marks an important step in the collaboration between Montreal’s various educational organizations. By joining forces, we demonstrate our ability to meet the challenges in education while remaining focused on our primary mission."

 Isabelle Gélinas, Director General of the Centre de services scolaire de Montréal, Paul St-Onge, Acting Director General of the Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, and Martin Duquette, Acting Director General of the Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île

Highlights:

• The administrations and staff of Montreal’s SSC and SB have been working tirelessly for months to plan, organize, and ensure an optimal start to the school year for students and staff, despite numerous challenges.
• The reality in Montreal is complex, but thanks to the concerted efforts of the five organizations in the territory, they fulfill their educational mission and contribute to the full potential of more than 280,000 young people and adult students.
• The average graduation and qualification rate for schools and centers on the Island of Montreal is 87.1 percent, nearly 3 percent higher than the overall Quebec network.
• Montreal SSC and SB by the numbers:
  • Over 280,000 students enrolled, representing about 20% of Quebec’s students
  • 486 educational institutions
  • 9 percent of teaching positions filled as of August 21, 2024
  • Nearly 4,000 resumes processed in the summer of 2024
  • More than 250 active construction projects in the summer of 2024
  • Over $420 million estimated in investment for asset maintenance for the 2024-2025 school year
  • Over 10,000 secondary students enrolled in summer courses in 2024

About the English Montreal School Board

With a youth and adult sector population of more than 35,000 students, the English Montreal School Board (EMSB) is the largest English public school board in Quebec. Established on July 1, 1998, when the province created new boards along linguistic lines, the EMSB network consists of 73 schools and centres. For more details, visit the EMSB website at www.emsb.qc.ca

Contact:

Michael Cohen
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Commission scolaire English-Montréal
mcohen@emsb.qc.ca

Darren Becker
Director, Communications
Commission scolaire Lester B. Pearson
dbecker@lbpsb.qc.ca
514 772-0122

 Alain Perron
Press Relations Manager
Centre de services scolaire de Montréal
perron.al@cssdm.gouv.qc.ca
514 573-9923

 Mélanie Simard
Communications Bureau
Centre de services scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys
medias@cssmb.gouv.qc.ca
514 294-5292

 Valérie Biron
Director, Corporate Services, Communications and General Secretariat
Centre de services scolaire de la Pointe-de-l’Île
communication@csspi.gouv.qc.ca
514 776-7437