With municipal and school board elections set for Nov. 13, Prairie South School Division’s election committee has begun preparing for how the organization will handle the event.
The school division established the committee recently and, after meeting, created several recommendations that it then submitted for review to the board of education during its March meeting.
The committee has recommended that the division:
- Review opportunities to partner with other municipalities and organizations also having elections on the same date
- Review costs associated with working with partners versus conducting the election without that support
- Consult with the current board to determine dates for meetings and processes connected to the election
- Review opportunities for improved efficiency with organizational processes for trustees
- Hold no board organizational meeting in the fall until after the election
- Have its committee of the whole review the annual report and audited financial statements because the business, infrastructure and governance (BIG) subcommittee — which will include new trustees — will not yet be operational
The election committee has also constructed a timeline of events before, during and after the election. That schedule includes:
- Tuesday, Sept. 3: The board holds its regular meeting, with its planning meeting occurring from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the public meeting from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, Sept. 24: Issuing a call for nominations in all subdivisions
- Tuesday, Oct. 1: The board holds its planning meeting in the morning and public meeting in the afternoon
- Wednesday, Oct. 9: Nomination day closes at 4 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 5: The final planning and public board meetings for this group of trustees
- Wednesday, Nov. 13: Election Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 13: Administration holds an orientation for new trustees from 12 to 4 p.m.
- Nov. 19-26: The division office distributes computer hardware to trustees, with staff giving one-on-one training to all board members
- Tuesday, Nov. 26: The board’s planning meeting occurs in the morning, followed by a public organizational meeting that afternoon and a special meeting to review the audited financial report and annual report
- Dec. 1-3: Available trustees can attend the Saskatchewan School Boards Association’s fall assembly in Regina
- Tuesday, Dec. 10: The initial regular meeting of the new board of education, including its planning and public meetings; the times and date are still to be confirmed
The next Prairie South board meeting is Tuesday, April 10.
