District to add one additional school board trustee during next election

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Taber Times

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The agenda for the Jan. 24 Horizon School Division (HSD) board meeting included a ministerial order mandating that the number of trustees in the division increase from seven to eight during the October 2025 general election.

 The agenda package also included a guide for nominees that outlined the competencies and responsibilities required of them. The guide from the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) said, “Trustees act as advocates for students, stewards of public funds and bridges between the community and the school division. Trustees work collaboratively as part of a school board to ensure students receive a high-quality education that reflects the values and needs of their community.”

 The Education Act gives authority and delegates governance powers to the school boards. The Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) regulates trustee elections which occur every four years. The elected trustees are accountable to their communities, parents, and Alberta Education for their decisions.

School boards have significant responsibilities, including:

-Planning for the division and setting long-term priorities.

-Evaluating the performance of the superintendent and the overall system.

-Communicating achievements and results to the public and advocating for funding and resources.

-Promoting public education as a cornerstone of a democratic society.

 HSD Superintendent Wilco Tymensen shared some details from his firsthand knowledge of the system. He said HSD holds monthly board meetings in which the agenda can range from 30 to over 100 pages of background reading. The meetings are normally half a day and often include committee meetings beforehand, making it a full day.

 Other meetings include provincial meetings (three days in the spring and three in the fall); school council meetings – each trustee has three or four schools they represent and each school has such meetings once a month; and ceremonies/concerts – attendance at Christmas concerts, award ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies.

 Tymensen said other responsibilities include committee work – in some cases only one trustee may be on a committee; monthly facilities meetings with three trustees; bargaining – either CUPE or ATA with three trustees on each, taking about five to 10 days per bargaining cycle; monthly zone meetings – one trustee all day; admin meetings – one trustee often rotating for half a day a each month; and school council meeting – division-wide parent council with three half day meetings.

 “The big focus is governance work whereby they make big high-level decisions around strategic direction, vision, and policy,” Tymensen said. “(Candidates) will have to declare any conflict of interest – e.g. family members who work for the division or work they engage in with the division.”

 Candidates are required to provide a criminal record check, and if elected, are granted remuneration around $20,000 per year.

 Individual trustees hold no legal authority; decision-making power rests solely and collectively with the board. The ASBA guide said trustees should possess skills and attributes like leadership and collaboration; financial acumen; knowledge of legislation; strong communication; and willingness to learn/ongoing professional development.

 Aspiring trustees must fulfill residency, citizenship, and age requirements to qualify for eligibility to run. Some faith-based and francophone school boards have specific requirements to run for their school board. Some candidates are disqualified if they owe the municipality for taxes in default exceeding $50 or owe the local jurisdiction a debt exceeding $500 and are not in default for more than 90 days. Candidates convicted of any election-related violation are disqualified. In addition, those presently employed as a local auditor are ineligible, as are school board employees (unless willing to take a leave of absence).

 Nominations must be filed during the designated nomination period, which began Jan. 1, 2025 and will close at 12 p.m. on nomination day (four weeks before the election).

 Candidates must complete the nomination forms (including Form 4), secure signatures from at least five eligible electors who reside within the school board’s jurisdiction, and submit the forms in person to the returning officer at the school board office. The forms can be found on the Government of Alberta website, in the Municipal Elections section.