If there are any cost savings in the School District 57 budget for the next three years, Brenda Hooker would love to be given the chance to find them.
As a full-time tax auditor for the Canada Revenue Agency, Hooker knows the system well, and she promises to put those skills to work for students if elected as a trustee in the Nov. 19 municipal vote.
"I'm not popular, as a tax auditor, but it's not something I'm willing to hide," Hooker said. "I think one of my strong suits as a candidate is bringing my financial background. I'm used to looking at financial statements and noticing things. That's what I do for a living, so hopefully there's some way we can make efficiencies because there needs to be more funding in the classroom.
"Educators are getting squeezed and overworked."
With student enrollment in the district projected to continue to decline at least until 2014, Hooker says that puts the onus on the board to continue to find ways to save money to protect programs, maintain services and keep schools open.
"Right now it's been identified by the board that we don't have enough funding, let alone losing additional funding, particularly for the rural schools and for at-risk students," Hooker said. "I think my municipal government background and my CGA (Certified General Account) designation will help in that. I would obviously like to be involved in the finance and audit committee if I was elected and I would like to be a rural liaison trustee for the rural area schools. I have family connections in those areas and I am familiar with the issues they have."
Hooker got her first taste of politics when she served a term as a councillor in McBride, from 1996-99. A downsizing at the mill in McBride left her without a job and she moved Prince George, where she received her training to become an accountant.
Rural schools need a voice in the district and Hooker says the new board has to continue to be proactive in applying pressure for more funding from the education ministry and help enact changes to the funding formula for rural students and work out solutions to transportation issues in the face of declining enrollment.
"One of the concerns is the two communities [McBride and Valemount], which are an hour apart, are going to be amalgamated into one high school," said Hooker. "I don't see that as being a solution. I'd rather see the high schools and the elementary amalgamate, and be on a different bell schedule. Hopefully it doesn't come to that if we can mitigate funding formula changes."
Hooker, has one child in the school system, wants to use town hall meetings and board consultations with parent advisory groups and teachers to help implement new policies and work through the threat of school closures. Essential in that process, she says, is an open-minded board willing to use input from those meetings to make its decisions.
She is also concerned about what she believes is a lack of support for teachers from the school district, with class sizes and the challenges of implementing the ministry's 21st Century Learning Model two of the most pressing issues.
Hooker is one of 18 candidates running for trustee positions. All-candidates forums for trustees will be held Nov. 7 in Valemount, Nov. 9 in Prince George, and Nov. 14 in Mackenzie.
