The October 9th board meeting was held at Regional Office in Barrhead.

Trustee Nancy Keough recently resigned from her position as trustee for the Swan Hills Ward. At their October 9th meeting, the board discussed whether to fill the vacancy with a by-election.

As part of the 2019-2020 school year, the board has also committed to a review of the electoral wards, which could reduce the number of trustees that represent the division. Therefore, the board has decided not to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, pending the results of the ward review.

What does this mean?

First, the board will hold the ward review, which will include consultations with our communities. Following the decisions of the ward review, the board will revisit the trustee vacancy that currently exists.

In the interim, Trustee Kerry McElroy will be the board representative for school council meetings and events associated with Swan Hills School. Representation on the other committees that former Trustee Keough was appointed to will be decided at the October 23, 2019 Regular Board Meeting.

Aligning board policies with the new Education Act

The Education Act came into force on September 1, 2019. The board is engaging in a fulsome review of all board policies to ensure they align with the new Education Act. The division will also be updating our administrative procedures based on the Education Act and board policies. Once completed, the updated policies and administrative procedures will be available on the division website.

See the board meeting agenda and minutes for more information.

The next school board meeting is at Pibroch Colony School on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 starting at 9:30 a.m. Members of the public are welcome to attend.