- Moyra Baxter
by Dave Preston
Moyra Baxter has been Peachland’s trustee on the board of education for 15 years and though she says the job is demanding, she wants to keep going.
Up until this year, Peachland has had its own trustee. New boundaries mean Peachland will be combined with regional district areas on the Westside and Westbank First Nation.
“It is a lot of work,” said Baxter. “If you have the time to put the effort in, it’s very time consuming.”
A trustee from West Kelowna or Peachland has to give more of a commitment to the job because the board office is in Kelowna and that means more travel time, according to Baxter.
The long time trustee said she has been emphasizing the work load of the job during her campaign because she’s not sure if her two rivals are aware of just how much work is involved.
“I haven’t seem them at a board meeting or a committee meeting,” said Baxter. “They haven’t asked me any questions.”
Westside trustee Jeff Watson is not seeking re-election and Baxter said he made it clear the reason is because of the time commitment needed.
On top of board meetings and committee meetings, Baxter said trustees deal with questions and concerns from parents who may not know where to go to get help.
School Disrict #23 is a huge business, according to Baxter. It has nearly 3,000 employees and a budget of $180 million.
“We spend a lot of time at budget meetings,” Baxter said.
The new Westside boundaries should work out fine, according to Baxter, who added the realignment has made the number of people who vote for a trustee more equitable.
“It’s not going to make any difference to the amount of work,” she said.
The two Westside trustees divide up all the schools on the Westside, with one becoming the primary contact and the other the alternate contact, according to Baxter.
“I hope people look at my record,” said Baxter. “In 15 years, I’ve never missed one board meeting.”
- Excited
- Informed
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
Over the years I have heard people say that they don’t bother to vote for a school trustee because their children aren’t in school any more. My response it that “Education is Everyone’s Business”. We have publicly elected School Trustees, so that the community has a voice in the education of our children.
The Statement of Education Policy Order, from the School Act Regulations and Orders in Council, states:
School Boards have a responsibility “to set education policies that reflect the aspirations of the community and are consistent with overall provincial guidelines” and are accountable “to parents, taxpayers, the community and the province”
Education is Everyone’s Business. Please look at the candidates’ resumes, contact them if necessary, and then vote for a school trustee candidate on Saturday.
I was impressed with you at the forum and I have read your dialogue on this forum – job well done and you can count on my vote!
Thank you Desert Pines and lone wolf.
Elections are always nerve wracking for any candidate, and last time it was a relief to retain my seat by acclaimation. However, having two or more people running for the same trustee seat does provide an opportunity to talk about public education, to celebrate the successes and admit the shortfalls. It helps focus on the important things and think about a plan for the future.
On these forums, I have answered questions posed to me and to all the trustee candidates. I have also tried to give an impression of what a trustee actually does and what an imortant responsibilty it is.
As to my days being over. Perhaps someone knows somrething my doctor hasn’t told me?!
Thanks again.
Woops – I see some spelling mistakes in my previous post –
important needs a p
something needs to lose an r
I guess there’s no way to edit one of these posts.
Dave . HELP. I’ve just failed my spelling test.
Not to worry. Comments and forum posts are not known for their adherence to the rules of spelling.
I believe your willingness to engage people on here far outweighs a missing ‘p’ and an errant ‘r’.
You are the only person qualified for this position. Your dedication speaks for itself.
Thank you for continuing to support our interests.
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