Linda Ross re-elected as Brandon school board chair

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/09/2024 (635 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon School Division board of trustees has re-elected Linda Ross as chair and elected Duncan Ross (no relation) as its new vice-chair.

The election at Tuesday’s inaugural meeting was overseen by division secretary-treasurer Denis Labossiere, who has presided over the process for more than a decade.

The re-elected chair, who is the longest-serving board member with more than 24 years of experience, expressed her gratitude to the trustees for another opportunity to serve.

“I’m pleased that the board had confidence in me to continue in this position for another year,” Linda Ross told the Sun. “I think that the people of Brandon who are paying attention to what goes on in education understand that I’m a pretty straight shooter, that I try to be as open and transparent as possible, and I don’t mince words. I’ll continue to operate in that fashion.”

Regarding challenges ahead, she cited financial constraints as a major issue.

“Finances are always a concern. Deciding how to best allocate funds for our children’s education is a constant issue,” she said. “Another challenge will be adapting to the new provincial agreement for teachers. Previously, agreements were negotiated division by division, so this is a new adjustment we’ll need to familiarize ourselves with as we move forward.”

Despite the challenges, the associate professor of psychology at Brandon University remains optimistic about the board’s ability to continue its work.

“This is a strong board, and I believe we’ll continue to do the work that we are mandated to do,” she said. “I am committed to transparency and open communication with the residents of Brandon.”

The new vice-chair said he appreciated the board’s confidence in him.

“I’m honoured that the majority of the people at the table believe in me enough to vote me in to be sort of the second in command of the boardroom,” Duncan Ross said. “I was acting vice-chair at one meeting last year, so it’s not going to be completely new to me.”

He acknowledged that the position involves more responsibilities, particularly in running committee meetings and stepping in for the chair when necessary.

His election as vice-chair follows the decision of trustee Jim Murray not to seek re-election for the position. When asked about his decision, Murray simply stated, “I chose not to contest for personal reasons.”

As the board moves into a new academic year, the chair said trustees are committed to reviewing and updating the division’s policies to ensure they remain relevant in a changing social landscape.

“You can’t just let them lie there. You have to always be having a review of a certain number every year so that they don’t get stale,” she said.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola