MOOSE JAW — Trustees with Prairie South School Division held their last board meeting of this term on Nov. 5, with some saying goodbye and all thanking each other for the past four years.
Trustee Crystal Froese is the only board member not running again as a trustee in the Nov. 13 municipal election because she is aiming to become Moose Jaw’s next mayor instead.
During the meeting, she noted that the board had experienced many changes and learned many new things during the past four years, from the coronavirus pandemic to late-night meetings to making tough decision to creating a new strategic plan.
“We just accomplished a lot around this table and I’m just really grateful to have come to these meetings and take part in that,” Froese said.
Trustees have “incredible leadership” at the table, while they also have opportunities to meet with school community councils (SCCs) and families and learn more about them, she continued. She also commended the division’s employees for their work.
“It doesn’t surprise me that we were in Forbes’ Top 100, really, because we worked so well together,” the outgoing trustee remarked. “I’ve enjoyed the debates we’ve had … . We’ve all done it so respectfully; we really are an example of what democracy should look like.”
The school board is an “underestimated” level of local government, especially since PSSD educates students from Craik in the north down to the Canada-United States border, Froese said. Prairie South is also a large division that has a large budget, with trustees being accountable and responsible in managing that money.
“We’re accomplishing things around this table that I think other divisions in our province could replicate,” she added. “I’ve really enjoyed this and I’m going to miss it.”
Board chairwoman Giselle Wilson thanked Froese for her time and service to PSSD. She commended the outgoing member for being an excellent trustee who represented the City of Moose Jaw (subdivision 6) well.
“And there is no doubt in my mind, when I think of Moose Jaw, you love it,” Wilson said. “You love your city. That is for sure. And so I am thankful for what you have contributed.”
Education director Ryan Boughen also thanked the trustees for their service, especially Froese. He said he enjoyed working with her, thought she was a great trustee, and wished her well.
He also commended the other trustees for defining the division’s identity and setting direction.
“We are a very fortunate school division to have you govern our school division. We have done amazing things together,” Boughen said.
He congratulated the trustees who had been acclaimed — Robert Bachmann, John Bumbac, Wilson and Shawn Davidson — and looked forward to working with them again. He also offered best wishes to those seeking re-election, including Darcy Pryor, Brett Hagan, Patrick Boyle, Mary Jukes and Lew Young.
“You have set a really high bar and standard for how a school division should operate, so (I’m) super proud of that … ,” Boughen added. “It’s been a pleasure.”
Other candidates running in the upcoming board election include Jan Pogorzelec (née Rice), who is facing off against Pryor in subdivision 1, and Kursty Bansley, Brian Martynook, Ron Gorham, Abdul Alabi and Tenielle McLeod, who are running in subdivision 6/Moose Jaw.
The first operational meeting of the new board is on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
