MOOSE JAW — To introduce candidates prior to the Wednesday, Nov. 13, school board election, Prairie South School Division (PSSD) No. 210 held a candidates’ forum where 10 out of the 11 total candidates were given the opportunity to discuss key education issues and introduce themselves in the A.E. Peacock Collegiate auditorium on Oct. 21.
In Subdivision 6, which entails Moose Jaw’s schools, there are nine total candidates running for five available spots. Each candidate was present for the forum with the exception of Brian Martynook.
Moderated by Craig Hemingway, acting director of strategic growth for the City of Moose Jaw, each candidate was given two minutes to respond to the same two questions: “What are the biggest challenges in education and how will you address them?” and “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
For brevity, the Moose Jaw Express included summarized responses to one of those questions.
Abdul Alabi
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: Alabi’s first priority is investing in teachers and staffing. He said that teachers represent “the future of our students” and, with the right funding — including the provision of all their basic needs in the classroom — that future will be “very bright.”
His second priority is student resources and support services. “We need the funds to provide students with up to date facilities,” Alabi said.
Alabi’s third priority is facilities and buildings, which he said have largely been around for a while and many are in need of proper maintenance.
Kursty Bansley
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: Bansley said the division already has a strategic plan for the next four years and she would base her decision off that. “Once voted in as a trustee, I would haves access to confidential business information that would allow me to be in a better position to assess what actually is a top priority to be based on the entire needs of the whole school division…,” Bansley said.
“Personally, I do agree with the strategic vision of increasing mental health and well-being supports and resources for our students and educators.”
Patrick Boyle
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: “The first one is innovation. We need to continue investing in innovation — that’s a budget priority,” Boyle said. He defined “innovation” as “everything from Pre-K to Pathways.”
“One of the things that Prairie South has… is that our teachers are some of the strongest…,” he said. “(W)e need to continue investing in the supports for them in the classroom” so that we can continue to create “those vibrant, contributing members of society.”
Boyle’s second priority is infrastructure. “You can’t have a good educational experience if the roof is dripping on top of you or beside your desk,” he said.
The third budget priority, he said, is “shifting ourselves back to some sort of (financial) balance.”
Ron Gorham
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: “It is crucial that our budgeting proprieties focus on enhancing educational outcomes, while ensuring the safety and well-being of both students and staff,” Gorham said. “My top three priorities are: staffing, programming, and maintaining our facilities.”
Gorham described these three priorities as “deeply interconnected” and said that “investing in one will yield benefits for the others.”
“To that end,” he continued, “a substantial portion of our budget should be allocated to hiring and retaining qualified staff. We must also prioritize innovative programming and stay current with economic advancements.”
Brett Hagan
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: Hagan said his first priority is classroom supports. “We know how important it is to have a low ratio of students to teachers and how well this will help with learning and classroom composition.”
His second priority is the carbon tax. “From 2018 to 2024, Prairie South has paid over 1.6 million in carbon taxes. It is scheduled to continue to rise up until 2030, and this is a big concern for education. We are projecting for this fiscal year to be losing over $500,000,” Hagan said. “If something doesn’t change, the cost to school divisions will be significantly higher.”
Hagan’s third priority is learning enhancements. “Pre-kindergarten and Pathways are such learning enhancements,” he explained.
Mary Jukes
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: “The first (priority) is supporting classrooms. Classroom staff would be determined by class size (and I will) also address classroom complexity and mitigating it,” Jukes said.
“The second priority is enhancing opportunities for students,” she said. Jukes listed three programs she views as successful in this effort: Pre-K programming, the Pathway School for at-risk students, and the Voices to Encourage Change program.
“Number three (is) the Provincial Education Plan’s strategic ongoing mental health supports.”
Tenielle McLeod
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: “My priorities regarding budget are around getting teachers what they need,” McLeod said. “(This) might mean the division needs more funding generally; it might mean making it really clear how they… can access funds; it might mean fundraising or securing sponsorships from the community.
“My top budgeting priorities then are those that need to align with government, our own divisional strategic plan, and transparency, so we can ensure teachers are getting what they need to succeed.”
Lew Young
Q: “What are your top three budget priorities for the school division?”
A: “Number one would be supporting the classroom with resources, and those resources could be extra assistance, more teachers, and ensuring that supports are there,” Young said. “The need to reduce wait times for resources such as speech and language pathologists, councillors, and educational assistants.
“Number two: maintaining the same level of services and to work at increased levels of support,” he said, adding that the division has financial reserves that allow them to do this.
“Number three would be early childhood development and Pre-K programs within our division,” Young said. “Pre-K plays a vital role in children’s development; it provides a strong foundation for later academic, social, and emotional growth.”
You can view a complete recording of the candidate’s forum online through the “Candidates’ Forum Recording” link at PrairieSouth.ca/Elections.
To view a list of the PSSD candidates visit PrairieSouth.ca/2024-Election-Candidates-Profiles.
For more information about the upcoming school board elections, visit PrairieSouth.ca/Elections.
The upcoming school board election will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
