Richard Froese
Spotlight
High Prairie School Division swore in its new board of trustees for the 2017-21 term at the organizational meeting Oct. 18, just two days after elections.
High Prairie Trustee Tammy Henkel was re-elected by the board as chair.
Slave Lake Trustee Joy McGregor was re-elected vice-chair.
The board welcomed new trustees Lorrie Shelp for Joussard-Kinuso and Ali Mouallem of Slave Lake.
Others returning were High Prairie Trustee Joyce Dvornek and West End Trustees Karin Scholl and Lynn Skrepnek of Falher-Donnelly.
The board chair is enthusiastic to continue in her role.
“I have been working diligently these past four years to improve the quality of public education in rural Alberta and we are really making advances to improve education in our communities,” Henkel says.
“Rural education is important to me and I am very happy to have the support of our communities and my fellow trustees to continue this great work.”
She already has some priorities as the leader.
“Over the next year, the board of trustees will continue to promote literacy and numeracy,” Henkel says.
“As we meet with all administrators and staff across the division, we will see how each school is preparing students for lifelong learning and the world of work.”
Henkel says the board will also work to strengthen relations with its municipal, First Nation, Metis and Inuit partners.
She also welcomes the new trustees.
“They will certainly bring new ideas and perspectives to the table,” Henkel says.
“We have a great team of trustees and I look forward to the next four years.”
The next organizational meeting will be after the regular board meeting in June 2018.
Dates for regular meetings are posted on the HPSD website.
The date for the 2017-18 Long Service Awards has been set for May 25, 2018.
One outgoing trustee was also acknowledged.
“We thank Rudy Willier for his many years of service to High Prairie School Division,” Henkel says.
“We will miss his valuable input into the decisions that have shaped our division.”
He served Joussard-Kinuso since 2007 and was defeated in the election.
Tracy Ottenbreit resigned as Slave Lake trustee in July after he moved out of the area.
-TRUSTEE APPOINTMENTS:
Trustees were also appointed to committees as follows:
-Board/Bus Drivers’ Liaison Committee – Skrepnek, Dvornek, Shelp (alternate).
-Board/Teacher Liaison – Scholl, McGregor, Mouallem.
-Finance Committee – all trustees.
-Bus Drivers’ Salary Negotiations and Interpretation Committee – Scholl, Dvornek, Shelp, Skrepnek (alternate).
-Alberta School Boards Association (Zone 1) – Scholl and Dvornek (alternate).
-Planning and Priorities Committee – all trustees.
-Pupil Personnel Committee – comprised of one trustee and one central office person (as designated by the superintendent).
-Teachers’ Salary Negotiations and Interpretation Committee – Scholl, Dvornek, Skrepnek (alternate) board chair Henkel.
-Public School Boards’ Association Council – Dvornek and Shelp (alternate).
-Trustee Professional Development Committee – McGregor, Henkel and Mouallem.
-Board/First Nation, Métis, Inuit, Liaison Committee – one trustee from each ward.
-Slave Lake Joint-Use Committee – Slave Lake Trustees McGregor and Mouallem.
-High Prairie Joint-Use Committee – West End Trustees Scholl and Skrepnek.
-Kinuso School/Community Library Board Joint-Use Committee Joussard-Kinuso Trustee Shelp.
-Recognition of Employee Committee – McGregor, Henkel and Dvornek (alternate).
-Council of School Councils Committee – board chair Henkel.
-Chamber of Commerce (Smoky River, High Prairie, Slave Lake) Committee – trustee from each ward that has a chamber of commerce.