BSD trustee Carr seeking re-election

Brandon School Division trustee Kirk Carr has entered the race for re-election.

The trustee, who registered his candidacy with election officials on Tuesday, said his experience since winning a 2023 byelection has prepared him to take on another term.

Carr said he wants to build on the work of his first three years on the board by continuing to advocate for students, staff, parents and the broader community.

“The three years have been great and a good learning experience,” Carr told the Sun. “My previous experience with boards allowed me to catch on very quickly, and I think that progression shows from budget to budget and almost meeting to meeting with how much I grasp and contribute.”

Carr was elected with 40.2 per cent of the vote in a field of nine candidates and said the trust placed in him by voters remains something he has not forgotten.

Throughout his first term, Carr said he has worked to ensure community concerns are reflected in board discussions. He said he was involved in discussions surrounding school lunch programming and helped facilitate communication between parents and schools while bringing feedback from residents to the board.

“I’ve always been out in the community listening,” he said. “We heard there weren’t enough educational assistants in classrooms, and there was concern over teacher reductions in the previous year’s budget. I brought those concerns forward and was the only trustee to submit proposals addressing them.”

During this year’s budget process, Carr proposed increasing the number of teachers, improving the educational assistant-to-student ratio and adding more staff support. He said developing concrete budget proposals is essential when advocating for additional provincial funding.

“You don’t get what you don’t ask for,” Carr said in an interview on Tuesday. “If we don’t have budget proposals, what are we asking for? We have to continue advocating to all levels of government and make sure we’re putting forward the needs of the division.”

He credited retiring Supt. Matthew Gustafson’s budget planning framework for outlining areas where the division is below provincial funding averages but said trustees also need to follow through by presenting proposals that reflect those priorities.

Education funding has remained a recurring challenge for the Brandon School Division, with trustees facing difficult decisions each year as they balance limited provincial funding against increasing operational costs, aging school infrastructure and growing demands for classroom supports, he said.

Carr’s campaign platform centres on strengthening engagement with parents, educators and the community, making decisions in the best interests of students, improving staff recruitment, retention and well-being, and ensuring schools remain inclusive, safe and welcoming environments where bullying is actively addressed.

The issue of bullying has received increased attention in Brandon schools following several reported incidents over the past year.

Regarding what he would do if re-elected, Carr said prevention must be the priority.

“I think prevention is multi-tiered,” he said. “It’s making sure students have the counselling and other supports they need, and making sure teachers also have the resources to deal with the different challenges they face in today’s classrooms.”

Carr also welcomed the creation of a committee examining bullying concerns within the division, saying its recommendations should lead to meaningful action.

“I want to hear what this committee has to say and listen to the parents and especially the students,” he said. “They’re the ones in the classrooms every day, and they may have ideas that could help us.”

While acknowledging that issues such as bullying and inclusion are important, Carr cautioned against reducing the election to a single issue.

“My fear is that this election becomes focused on just one issue,” he said. “Being a trustee is about much more than that. You have to understand the budget, classroom sizes, staffing, maintenance, inclusion and so many other issues. Trustees need to be well-rounded because many different responsibilities come with the role.”

Carr said he plans to run an active campaign over the coming months, meeting with parents, staff and community members to hear their concerns and share his vision for the future of the division.

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