At Tuesday's Fraser Cascade school board meeting, held at Agassiz elementary secondary school, trustee Rose Tustian brought forward a discussion regarding reducing the number of trustees in Fraser Cascade in the future from seven to five, and changing from the current ward system (where each trustee has a specific geographic area to represent) to an at-large system.
The idea didn't sit well with the rest of the board.
"We are not overpaid," said Trustee Al Fraser. "If it was going to save a million dollars, yes. We are the cheapest part of the school system, sitting here around the table."
Trustees in the Fraser Cascade are given a remuneration of $11,041.96 per year, with the chair receiving $13,250.31. The school district has just over 1,800 students attending nine schools and three Strong Start Centres.
Trustee Tom Hendrickson said that with fewer trustees and no dedicated area trustee for the Canyon area, those students, parents and teachers would go without representation.
Tustian did not put forward a motion on the matter, but she did for a motion to have the standing committee meetings held in both Agassiz/Harrison and Hope, for a one year period. She believes that moving the committees to communities other than Hope will encourage more parent participation. Standing committees used to travel to meet at different schools in the district, however, it was too cumbersome to move large binders from place to place.
Tustian suggested that since the district now uses technology instead of papers and binders, travel wouldn't be so hard.
Her motion did not receive a seconder, so it was not voted on.