School board elections for public, Catholic and francophone school divisions are slated to take place across Saskatchewan November 13, 2024; the same day voters go to the polls in municipal elections, and just two weeks after the provincial election on October 28.
In the Gazette coverage area, school board elections will be held for the Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) and the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS).
The PSSD, which includes communities in the region surrounding Saskatoon, has a board made up of trustees representing 11 subdivisions. The current trustees include: Pam Wieler (Subdivision 1), Kate Kading (Subdivision 2), Ken Crush (Subdivision 3), Christa-Ann Willems (Subdivision 4), Angela Bothner (Subdivision 5), Bernie Howe (Subdivision 6), Dawne Badrock (Subdivision 7), Grace Wudrick (Subdivision 8), Kimberly MacLean (Subdivision 9), Adin Dereniwski (Subdivision 10), and Kimberly Greyeyes (Subdivision 11).
The GSCS school division includes schools in Saskatoon, as well as schools in Martensville, Warman, Humboldt and Biggar. One trustee will be elected to represent the subdivision for Martensville and Warman (currently represented by trustee Wayne Stus).
The nomination deadline for school board elections is October 9, 2024. Candidates must be a Canadian citizen, be at least 18 years of age, have lived in the school division for at least three consecutive months, and have lived in Saskatchewan for at least six consecutive months.
According to the Saskatchewan School Boards Associatiuon (SSBA) website, locally elected boards have a vital role in serving Saskatchewan’s publicly funded education system.
“Boards of education and the (‘conseil scolaire fransaskois’ ) CSF remain deeply rooted in the belief that every student in Saskatchewan, regardless of where they live or their personal circumstances, must have the resources and supports they need to achieve and succeed,” states the SSBA website. “Collectively, the people who serve on Saskatchewan’s boards are committed to serving students, families and communities.”
Candidates for school boards do not necessarily have to have expertise in the field of education.
“The ideal board includes members who are representative of all cultures and walks of life in the community,” states the SSBA website. “The role of the trustee is not to serve as a professional edutor or to act as the spokesperson for a particular interest group. Instead, the trustee must, to the best of their ability, represent the wishes of all parents, caregivers, students and others in their communities, and ultimately act and make decisions in the best interest of the school division.
Additional information on school board elections is available online at saskschoolboards.ca