School District 57 is looking for community feedback to guide the strategic plan for the next three to five years of operation. Newly elected Chair of the Board of Trustees Trent Derrick calls the process “one of the most exciting” aspects of his new job. “We want to see what the community believes is important for us to move forward”, said Derrick.

Newly elected Chair Trent Derrick (centre front) and the Board of Trustees are focused on graduation rates and improving education outcomes for SD57 students. Photo courtesy of SD57.

He points to graduation rates as an ongoing priority for SD57. As reported by CKPG, the district saw graduation rates below that of the provincial average in 2017-2018, at 80 per cent as opposed to 85 per cent. For Indigenous students, graduation rates are significantly lower at 65.8 per cent.

COVID-19 has changed the method of engagement this year and Derrick anticipates the pandemic will have an impact on peoples priorities as well.

“Those that were vulnerable before COVID are more vulnerable now... So how we engage that, and how we support our most vulnerable in the learning system is taking a priority”. 

Derrick hopes that moving online will prompt a more robust reply from the community, some of whom are remote and have been unable to attend in person sessions in the past. He says that “going out and listening and learning” will help challenges of addressing the needs of such a large and diverse region.

Community members are invited to participate in the online thought exchange here.

Listen to the interview on CFUR-FM: