A local school board won’t be requesting an additional trustee for the upcoming municipal election after a vote Tuesday night.
After expanding to include Armstrong and Collins, the Lakehead District School Board had until March 15 to ask the Ministry of Education to add one more trustee to the eight-person elected board. But with less than 100 students from the newly incorporated areas, trustees such as Lori Lukinuk said expanding the board wasn’t necessary. Board chair Deborah Massaro said the decision means the number will now stay the same as the 2006 election.
"We will continue with eight trustees and all trustees will represent all area of our district," Massaro said. "Equality for all of our schools will continue including Armstrong and Collins."
Trustee George Saarinen was the only member to vote against the decision. He said adding another trustee from a rural area would have benefited the whole region.
"I just felt that we needed rural representation and that we should return to it," said Saarinen. "It would have been nice t have rural rep for all of the surrounding areas of Thunder Bay including Armstrong. That person could travel to various communities and represent their needs."
The board did make one request Monday, to have their administration look into the process and impact of an aboriginal trustee. While the board can request the addition of a First Nations representative, the position would not be elected but appointed by the various First Nation communities with students in Lakehead Public Schools
"We would welcome the opportunity to have an aboriginal trustee," Massaro said. "They would be appointed by their communities. We would not have an election."