Election Results
The official results for the 2021 Municipal Election are in, and the newly elected GPPSD Board of Trustees are (in alphabetical order):
Ray Buziak
Chris Johnston
Donna Koch
Paulette Kurylo (Incumbent)
Rob Martin (Incumbent)
Joan Nellis (Incumbent)
Andre Ouellette (Incumbent)
The role of the Trustees is to provide governance of the Division, as described in the Board Policies, available at www.gppsd.ab.ca
What is the Role of a School Trustee?
Trustees act as advocates to ensure our students receive the best possible educational opportunities. Trustees must be prepared to put the needs of students first and must also be willing to act in the best interests of all division schools and students.
As elected officials, trustees are accountable to the community and responsible for overseeing and directing the school division's operations. They are communicators, policy makers, role models and politicians. Their duties include:
- setting priorities for the school system based on available resources,
- adopting an annual budget,
- developing policies to guide administration,
- advocating to ensure education remains a public priority.
In the Grande Prairie Public School Division, the Board of Trustees are guided by the policies of the Board.
Board Policy 2 describes the Role of the Board and
Board Policy 3 describes the Role of the individual Trustee. Other policies enacted by the Board identify expectations for Trustee behaviour, describe key features of Board Operations, and identify what authority the Board delegates to the Superintendent of Schools.
What do Alberta School Boards do?
In Alberta, citizens elect school boards to act for the legislature in their local schools and communities. School boards exist because of the belief that government – and decisions – made closest to the people being governed are the most effective. School boards are:
- Advocates for Alberta’s children
- Champions for education
- Partners in education
- Strategic governors
- Political officials
- A bridge connecting with the community and sharing information
