Interested in Running for Catholic School Trustee?

This fall voters will be going to the polls to elect their civic representatives and that includes Catholic school trustees.

Catholic education in Alberta has a very long history and pre-dates our province’s joining the Confederation in 1905. It offers families the choice to immerse their child in an education grounded in faith, and centered in Christ. Catholic school trustees have an important role, as they advocate and work for the betterment of Catholic education, not only in STAR Catholic but across the province.

As a trustee for St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic School Division, you’ll be joining a faith-filled organization that has an outstanding provincial reputation and a track record of excellent results. Your work will be supported by several organizations, including Alberta Education, the Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association (ACSTA), and the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA). Locally, you’ll be working with a team of trustees from STAR Catholic’s six communities on governance of the school division, providing direction on policies and strategic direction.

One of the main roles will be to stay connected to your community. STAR Catholic is committed to hearing the voice of its stakeholders and that means its students, staff, parents, parishioners, clergy and families. Listening to these stakeholders is vital in understanding the concerns of any individual school, community or the division as a whole and better equips you to make appropriate decisions moving forward.

There are some changes as we head into the next election, when compared to the past election in 2013. The biggest change comes from a Board decision, earlier this year, to reduce its size from nine trustees to seven.  The change, which won’t take effect until this civic election, will see two trustees represent Leduc, while one trustee per community will represent Wetaskiwin, Drayton Valley, Ponoka, Lacombe and Beaumont.

In making this decision, the Board analyzed 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. As a result of the Board’s decision, our wards are more in line with one another from a representation-by-population and voter parity perspective.

As we head into the fall civic election, may you be encouraged to consider running for Catholic school trustee in STAR Catholic School Division. Being a Catholic trustee is a rewarding and fulfilling vocation for those with a passion for education and a devotion to their Catholic faith.

Elections are being held October 16, 2017. And you can find out more information at http://www.acsta.ab.ca/resources/electionbook or at http://www.starcatholic.ab.ca/want-to-be-a-star-catholic-trustee-information-page/

More information on the Board’s reduction to seven trustees from nine, can be found at: http://www.starcatholic.ab.ca//division/news/post/star-catholic-board-votes-to-reduce-to-seven-trustees

STAR Catholic Schools has more than 3,900 students in 11 schools located in Beaumont, Drayton Valley, Leduc, Lacombe, Ponoka and Wetaskiwin.