STAR Catholic Board votes to reduce to seven trustees

Leduc— St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools’ Board of Trustees will be making a request to the Minister of Education to reduce its board configuration from nine to seven trustees, following an extensive Ward Boundary Review process and approval at a subsequent special meeting held January 5, 2017.

The change, which won’t take effect until the next civic elections, held October 2017, will see two trustees represent Leduc, while one trustee per community will represent Wetaskiwin, Drayton Valley, Ponoka, Lacombe and Beaumont.

The Board analysed demographics and population numbers presented in a consultant’s report, as well as feedback gathered in each of STAR Catholic’s six communities, over a two-month-long consultation process.

“This was not an easy decision for the Board. There was a good and healthy discussion and debate. But, in the end, the majority did feel a modification to the Board’s composition was warranted,” said Board Chair Thalia Hibbs. “STAR Catholic trustees represent their own communities and constituents, but around the Board table we are all committed to being a Board that serves the collective will and interests of communities, students and families throughout the entire Division, and that hasn’t changed.

“As a result of the Board’s decision, this change will bring the Division’s wards much more in line with one another from a representation-by-population and voter parity perspective, which are fundamental democratic principles. Our board will continue to monitor our communities as they grow and populations shift.”

The next step in the process is to make the needed amendments to the relevant Board bylaw, which will be sent to Alberta Education for final approval.