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Perfect time to reduce trustees

Editor: Every three years before the elections, Colleen Elson, who spent many years as a teacher and as an administrator in this school district, writes a letter to the paper, explaining why the number of school trustees should be reduced.

Editor:

Every three years before the elections, Colleen Elson, who spent many years as a teacher and as an administrator in this school district, writes a letter to the paper, explaining why the number of school trustees should be reduced.

Now that we have elected three trustees and acclaimed four (an election was necessary in only one of the five electoral areas), it is the perfect time to reduce the number of trustees to five or even three.

There is obviously a lack of interest to seek election to the Board of Education. And the fact that two trustees put their names forward to run also for municipal office indicates that it is definitely time to reduce the number of trustees.

The 2008/11 board started the process to change electoral boundaries and to reduce the number of trustees to five. Unfortunately, the application was sent to government too close to the 2011 election for sufficient public consultation and was therefore not allowed. Perhaps the new Board of Education could put this high on its list of priorities. Four years is plenty of time to consult the public, in order to reduce the number of trustees and to make the necessary boundary changes, then submit an application ready for the next elections in 2018.

Fran Heppell, Gibsons