Francis and Lowry asking for another term as school board trustees

By Cal Braid
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Bruce Francis and Blair Lowry are ready to represent their wards again as school board trustees for Horizon School Division. Both are Ward 3 trustees for Taber/Barnwell along with Maxwell Holst.

 The competition for the three person ward will come from LaNae Baker (profile upcoming), so at least two of the three men will be back by acclamation. In late September, Francis and Lowry responded to questions about their desire to return to the board.

1) Will you be running to represent your ward again? Why or why not?

Lowry: I have filed my nomination papers. I believe that I have the skill-set and I know that I have the passion to continue to serve as a trustee and to be an asset on the board.

Francis: Yes I will be running again. The why is really quite simple: I still really enjoy being involved in decision making, that hopefully helps all our students learn and prepare for their futures.

2) What’s been rewarding about the position and what do you bring to it?

Lowry: The most rewarding part of the position of trustee is celebrating the successes of students, staff and schools. I guess what I bring to the table is a strong background in education. I taught for 35 years and I continue to teach adult classes in retirement.  Also, while I am a person of few words, I am a good listener.

Francis: I have been a trustee with the Horizon School Board for 24 years. I started out with having five children in our schools here in Taber. We now presently have eight grandchildren attending high school, middle school and elementary in Taber. So I still bring a real passion to do my part in seeing that they and all students receive the best educational opportunities.

3) What are your hopes for the division during the next term?

Lowry: I have served on the facilities committee for the past number of years and the big item over the next term will be the modernization of the Myers complex.

Francis: We have hired a brand new superintendent this year, Dr. Adam Browning. As a school board we are responsible for hiring and evaluating one employee, the superintendent. I would like to be part of the process of helping Dr. Browning get his feet on the ground and be successful in his role of helping all students of Horizon to be engaged and empowered for success.

4) Are there challenges that you would like to address and resolve?

Lowry: One of the challenges that we face is the increasing cost of things outside the classroom, such as insurance, utilities and transportation, while the funds provided by the province don’t seem to keep up.

 Please vote for me, but more importantly, please get out and exercise your democratic right. We are blessed to live in the best country in the world.  Wouldn’t it be amazing to see voter turnout approaching 100 per cent!

Francis: The challenge is always to find ways to do more with less. Our funding comes from the Government of Alberta and every year brings more unique challenges to address the educational needs of today’s students. It is always a real balancing act to provide the students with their best learning opportunities with the budgets we are given. I feel my years of being on the board puts me in a position to see that those opportunities of learning can happen.

 Our present students are this country’s future and I want to continue to strive to help them as a public check to ensure as best I can that they become lifelong learners and are as prepared as possible for their futures. I love seeing students be successful and would like to continue in the role as a trustee of the Horizon School Board.