LAKELAND – Settling into their four-year term, Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) board of trustees had a lot to discuss and decide during their first organizational and board meeting on Wednesday.
Starting the meeting, elected trustees, both new to the table and those returning, stood in unison and took an oath to dutifully, and to the best of their ability, fill the role of an elected school board trustee.
The first decision reached by the trustees was selecting both the board chair and vice-chair person for the 2021 – 22 school year. With only one name nominated for each role, Karen Packard was unanimously selected to chair and Gary Kissel was selected to the role of vice-chair.
Packard will replace outgoing trustee Arlene Hynryk, who did not seek re-election, as board chair. Packard, who represents Ward 2 – Cold Lake, is beginning her second term as a Northern Lights trustee.
Kissel is replacing outgoing trustee Michael Topylki, who did not regain his spot on the board. Since retiring from a 44-year career as a teacher and administrator in 2007, Kissel has been elected each term to serve on the NLPS board of trustees. Kissel represents Ward 1 – Bonnyville.
Notable decisions that were made by the new board include rescheduling the time of all future NLPS board meeting to begin at 10 a.m. A decision by the previous board had set meetings for 2 p.m.
Additionally, a decision was made to hold four out of the 13 regularly scheduled board of trustee meetings at the Lac La Biche NLPS office. The remaining meetings will take place at NLPS’s head office in Bonnyville or virtually, if weather conditions deem it necessary or if other considerations need to be taken into account.
Several trustees, including Debra Lozinski, who represents Ward 5 – Lac La Biche South, noted that by holding roughly a third of meetings in Lac La Biche it would provide more regional representation and would help balance the commute made by trustees.
The NLPS board of trustee meetings in Lac La Biche will take place on Dec. 10, Feb. 23, April 20 and June 8.
Flipping through their orientation packages, new and returning trustees also had to decide which standing committees, ad hoc committees and which boards they would sit on as organizational representatives. Board of trustees will fill 51 spots on 20 committees for the upcoming 2021-22 year.
Trustees also decided that due to the current state of the economy it would be prudent to maintain compensation rates for the upcoming year. Board trustees receive $109 for half day meetings, $218 for full days and $327 on days with extended meetings.
Board trustees receive a monthly honorarium of $772, although the board chair receives a monthly honorarium of $1,543, and the vice-chair receives $880 monthly. Trustees can claim a monthly allowance of up to $153 with proper documentation.
Also remaining consistent is the mileage rate, which is matched to the federal government rate, 59¢ per km for the first 5,000 km driven and 53¢ per km above that.
The NLPS meal rate remains the same at $15 allotted for breakfast and lunch, and $25 for dinner. This rate is slightly higher than the rate set by the Alberta government, but substantially lower than the federal rate.
