Don’t be truant. Do your homework. Be ready to work hard. Be respectful of your peers.
That message was sent Monday night by the Simcoe County District School Board — not to students, but to those interested in representing them.
The board held its first-ever information session for prospective trustees at its Education Centre north of Barrie. Education director Steve Blake explained the reason for it.
“In 31 years in education, and three school boards, working with scores of trustees … the No. 1 thing trustees will say after their first year is, ‘Wow. I had no idea how much work was involved or how complex it was,’” Blake told the audience of about 25.
With a combined operating and capital budget of about $700 million, “the stakes are high,” he said.
It’s not only the workload that surprises new trustees. Some seek election with a pet project in mind. A trustee is one vote on a board of 12 people, so those dreams can be dashed quickly. That’s why, Blake said, they should realize while they are elected by constituents in a certain area, they make decisions that apply to the entire county.
“It’s incredible, the impact you can have on people’s lives, especially our students’,” he said.
That’s why Tanya Snell is considering taking a run for the seat in Wasaga Beach.
“I have a passion for supporting youth,” said Snell, who now owns a marketing company but was a youth worker with the City of Vancouver for eight years.
While she has been relinquishing some of her volunteer duties to free up her time, after Monday’s session, she remained on the fence about whether to run.
“I’m still sitting on it. It’s a huge decision to make,” said Snell, a self-employed mother of an 11-year-old girl.
She read up on the role of a trustee prior to Monday’s event, but she still learned a lot, particularly about the amount of work required.
“I appreciated the honesty. It definitely helped,” she said. “This isn’t a flash in the pan. This is four years of your life.”
Trustees are expected to attend every monthly board meeting, but they also often serve on committees that have their own meetings. Then there are the events — school openings, school closings, graduations. The time commitment is substantial.
One of the attendees asked about campaigning. Jodi Lloyd, trustee for Orillia and Ramara, said the geographically large areas trustees represent present challenges. It isn’t like campaigning for councillor in a ward in a municipal election. Door knocking isn’t as practical.
It can also be difficult to get the word out, Lloyd said, citing newspaper closures and the fact trustee elections tend to take a backseat on the ballot to council during municipal elections. She suggested trustee candidates contact those who organize all-candidates meetings and urge them to include trustee hopefuls, something that doesn’t happen in every municipality.
Among the other questions from the audience: Does a candidate have to run for election in her or his area of residence? (No.) Do they need a certain number of signatures to be eligible to run? (No; just $100.) Will the pension of a retired teacher be affected if he is serving as a trustee? (No, because they are paid an honorarium.)
“It was very informative,” Aaron Kell said of the session. “Anyone who is looking at an elected position should attend a meeting like this. It should almost be mandatory.”
The Cookstown man is interested in pursuing public office. After speaking with municipal council members, he felt the school board would be a good start before possibly seeking a councillor’s seat.
Kell, who has two kids in elementary school, brought his spouse with him Monday night.
“If I’m going to sacrifice, I’m going to be pulling my time from my family,” he said. “If she’s not on board, then I can’t be on board.”
The deadline to file a nomination for school trustee is July 27.
The municipal election is Oct. 22.
Find out more about becoming a Simcoe County District School Board trustee here.
