WCBS - Preliminary Report March 2023

Limestone Learning Foundation
Your Voice Matters – Creating a workplace that is equitable and inclusive
Posted on 03/30/2023
Image of WCBS graphic

The Limestone District School Board has released the preliminary results of demographic and identity data collected from the See Yourself in Limestone: Workforce Census and Belonging Survey (WCBS). Limestone is committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion for all staff and students. We recognize the importance of trust in the system, and particularly in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion.  The results of the WCBS are a valuable step in understanding our workforce and their lived experiences within Limestone. This data therefore provides a baseline against which future work and related initiatives can be monitored and reviewed.    

 

In April 2022, all staff were invited to participate in a voluntary, anonymous, and confidential census to gather baseline data to better understand the current composition of its workforceThe WCBS asked questions about identity that included first languages, gender, sexual orientation, religion/creed/faith, ethnicity, race, nationality, disability, socioeconomics, education, job status, role, as well as questions relating to opportunities, sense of belonging, safety and well-being. 

Survey questions were developed in consultation with stakeholders, including senior staff, federations, unions, association partners, staff affinity networks and LDSB Research, LDSB Equity, and LDSB Indigenous TeamsAdditionally, this work was supported by KEYS through the Workplace Inclusion Charter partnership.
 

The response rate for LDSB staff was 58%, which is a good outcome for a first survey of this nature. More work and consultation are needed to understand the relationships between this data.  

   

Some of the demographic responses highlighted in the preliminary report include: 

 

  • 76% of respondents are permanent or probationary full-time employees.  
  • 75% of the respondents identify as female. 
  • 20% of the respondents identify as male.  
  • 92% of respondents state English is their first language with 33% competent in 40 other languages. 
  • 64% of respondents indicated they are caregivers for children, elders, friends or other family members. 
  • 15% of respondents indicate they have a condition or disability. 
  • 91% of respondents self-identify as White. 
  • 3% of respondents self-identify as Indigenous, First Nations, Métis, or Inuit.  
  • 7% of respondents identify with a racialized group. 

The information gathered from the WCBS will inform and foster the development and implementation of strategies aimed at identifying and eliminating gaps and barriers, increasing employee sense of belonging, and creating a more inclusive workplace where everyone sees themselves in Limestone.   

  

The responses collected from the WCBS will complement the data collected from the See Yourself in Limestone Student Census and allow LDSB to offer meaningful, contextually appropriate support to students, families, and staff, that meet local needs. Student and staff voice also matters and are critical on the path forward to increasing a sense of belonging and creating a more inclusive and equitable school board.  

The Limestone District School Board is situated on traditional territories of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee.