Cramer claims spot on BSD board
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/09/2022 (1240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
While the Brandon School Division’s 2022-26 board of trustees won’t be finalized until the Oct. 26 municipal election, at least one candidate has already secured her seat.
Former BSD employee Caroline Cramer was the only person who registered to run for the division’s rural ward (ward two) and was acclaimed once the nomination period ended Sept. 20.
Cramer will be replacing current trustee Sherilyn Bambridge, who previously told the Sun that she won’t be seeking re-election.
Caroline Cramer poses for a photo in front of Brandon School Division headquarters on Tuesday afternoon. Cramer will serve as the ward two representative on BSD's board of trustees, having been acclaimed into the role last week after nobody else ran for this seat. The remaining eight seats on the board will be determined through the Oct. 26 municipal election. (Kyle Darbyson/The Brandon Sun)
Talking to the Sun Tuesday, Cramer said she isn’t letting this uncontested race go to her head and looks forward to connecting with constituents before she is officially sworn in.
“I see this as a long-term role for me, even running in, potentially, the next election,” she said. “So I think it’s important for me to take part in that, even though I am acclaimed, just to get that experience and to make sure that I’m answering any of my constituents’ questions.”
Despite this being Cramer’s first time holding public office, she brings a lot of experience to the table when it comes to education and operations management.
Outside of serving as the director of BSD’s facilities and transportation office for four years, she has also worked for organizations such as SNC Lavalin, Secure Energy Services and Brookfield Global Integrated Solutions in a managerial capacity.
Cramer currently serves as the director of operations for St. Amant, a not-for-profit organization that supports Manitobans living with autism and developmental disabilities.
Helping students with special needs is an issue that is near and dear to Cramer’s heart, since her two children are on the autism spectrum and currently attend École O’Kelly School located at CFB Shilo.
Cramer is looking to use this unique insight to enhance her role on the school board. She hopes to provide parents with increased transparency when it comes to navigating disability services at a local level.
“It is very difficult to advocate for your child, and if you do not have the correct approach in doing so you do not get supports,” she said.
“And that’s something that needs to change, not just with the school division but overall.”
As a resident of Sprucewoods, a small community near CFB Shilo, Cramer is also aware of the unique challenges facing rural families when it comes to sending their kids to school in the division.
Outside of issues involving transportation, Cramer also wants to put a bigger emphasis on helping students from O’Kelly and Alexander School when they transition from their tight knit classes to larger cohorts within Brandon.
“It’s scary for rural kids to move into the city and start going to high school,” she said. “That’s a gap I’m noticing right now talking to some community members in the O’Kelly area, in Shilo.”
However, Cramer told the Sun that she also won’t be neglecting the rest of the division, which consists of 24 schools and roughly 9,000 students overall.
“I’m looking forward to serving the community as a whole and I’m committed to working diligently to ensure the board is meeting the responsibilities of student education,” she said last week.
Fourteen candidates are currently vying for the remaining eight seats on BSD’s board of trustees, which are all located within the division’s city ward (ward one).
Half of this list of nominees consists of current school board trustees. They are Jim Murray, Jason Gobeil, Delvina Kejick, Linda Ross, Calistus Ekenna, Blaine Foley and Kim Fallis.
The remaining candidates are a mixture of first-time nominees (Chyrel Young, Brad Rusnak, Duncan Ross, Rebecca Anhalt, Kirk Carr) and individuals who ran in the 2020 school board byelection (Bonnie-Lynn Mills and Breeanna Sieklicki).
The Brandon Teachers’ Association is looking to host a candidates forum on Oct. 12 at the Victoria Inn, where all of the nominees will get a chance to engage with the public and talk about their platform.
The Brandon Sun will also be talking with all these candidates individually leading up to the Oct. 26 election.
» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson