The Tribune asked candidates running in the municipal, regional, and School District 27 election a few questions about themselves and their platforms.
We asked the following:
• What position are you running for?
• Why are you running for it?
• What do you see as the top three issues to address in your community?
• How do you propose to tackle them?
Candidates in the area, including those who have been acclaimed, were invited to participate for free
and were given a maximum word limit of 275 words to answer the questions above.
The following are the answers we received from participating candidates:
Oleh Lazarchuk
I am running for school board trustee in Zone 5 because I would like to be involved in providing the best education available in Canada for each and every student in School District 27. No child left behind! Our children and grandchildren need to be educated in a positive environment that gives them all the tools and skills necessary to compete in the global work place and do exceptionally well in our post secondary/trades institutions. We need work experience for secondary students, and more before/after school programs. I have a business background, understand budgets, and have the desire, time, and commitment to help make this happen. The top 3 issues:
1. Financial: The ongoing challenge of meeting the needs of all our students in our rural and municipal communities with the allocated provincial funding available.
2. Recognizing the importance of the rural schools and the fact that they are the hearts of their communities and balancing their needs with that of urban schools.
3. To assess and create programs directly addressing the unique needs of students by taking into account socio-economic and cultural backgrounds as well as recognizing the diverse needs of developmentally challenged, exceptional, distance, and home-school students. This may include enhancing English as a Second Language programs and/or promoting a greater understanding of cultural diversities. Of equal importance is to increase aid to those working to meet the needs of the developmentally challenged student population. I truly believe that by working together (teachers, parents, community leaders, school board trustees, and all governments) we can find a way to implement programs that ensure each child can reach their individual optimum performance.