REGINA - The results of the 2024 public school board trustees election for Regina saw a lot of familiar names reclaim their position, including Adam Hicks and Tracey McMurchy.
Hicks, winner of the public school board trustee Subdivision 3, and McMurchy, winner of the public school board trustee Subdivision 2, both were at City Hall to see the results happening in real time. The results for the election saw Hicks with nearly 82 per cent of the votes, while McMurchy had over 55 per cent of the votes.
Hicks had a commanding lead for most of the time, making his victory go smoothly. He reacted to the win as very stress relieving. "I cannot tell you what a relief it is. So I don't think a lot of folks realize it's months of just worrying and [wondering] are you doing enough?"
Hicks added over the last few months, he knocked on doors, sent out flyers and created content on social media. He described it as "the longest job interview you ever have."
This will be Hicks' third term as a public school board trustee for (Sub. 3). Meanwhile, McMurchy is beginning her second term, as she first became a trustee in a 2022 by-election.
In those two years, McMurchy said she learned how much trustees have to connect and listen to the community they represent. She added the role of a trustee has really changed and echoed her previous statement that it is dependent on how much they work with a school community.
McMurchy also spoke about the frustrations she hears from teachers and understands their essential to help kids learn. She said she wants teachers to be recognized by the trustees for all the work they accomplish.
Hicks has the same feeling, as his whole slogan has always been listening and being a voice for the community. He feels this allows him to address issues that could arise in a year or three years. Hicks has hosted open forums in the past where parents can talk about their concerns.
One of those concerns was kids from the Harbour Landing neighbourhood having to attend different schools in Regina because they were overcapacity.
Hicks said 10 schools in Regina are near or over capacity, including two schools he represents. According to him, the two schools are close to 140 per cent capacity. The schools in Harbour Landing were designed to hold 650 kids but currently hold around 950 kids.
Because of the overcapacity, 400 children from Harbour Landing are attending different schools. One batch of 200 students attends Dr. A.E. Perry School, and the other 200 attend the Ethel Milliken School. Hicks said it is likely 200 more kids will have to take a bus to a different area for their education next year. Because kids live so far from their homes, Hicks said it creates challenges for parents that cannot walk their kids to school or for a child attending a different school than their friends.
Even though a new joint-use school is coming to Harbour Landing, Hicks called the slow process "extremely frustrating." He added schools typically open within three years after being announced. However, the new school in Harbour Landing has been in the works for seven years now with no shovels in the ground, meaning, at the earliest, a new school would be open by late 2027 or 2028.
While overcapacity is one key issue in schools, McMurchy hears from parents that learning can be difficult for their children. She understands some students need special support or an educational assistant to come in and help them with reading or math. She also pointed out some kids can be overwhelmed and distracted by the noise in the classroom.
McMurchy has experienced hardships in the past, including poverty and racism. She feels it has taught her to become more resilient. She always looks at herself to see how she handles situations, like problem-solving or collaboration.
When asked about what she is most proud of in her two years of being a trustee, McMurchy said she could not pinpoint a specific accomplishment but said the relationships she built with students, families and the entire community have made her work easier, better and more rewarding.
As for their goals over the next four years, Hicks reiterated he plans to listen and have those easy conservations on topics and tough conversations when things may not be going so well.
Meanwhile, McMurchy said she wants to work with the board and ensure goals are being met. She also said she wants to focus on advocating for enough funding and getting resources needed for students and teachers.
She mentioned the importance of hitting reading levels for students and hitting graduation targets across the board compared to other schools in Saskatchewan.
The five other public school board trustees that were elected are Ted Jaleta for public school board trustee Subdivision 1, Cindy Anderson for public school board trustee Subdivision 4, Sarah Cummings Truszkowski for public school board trustee Subdivision 5, Brandon-Shea Mutala for public school board trustee Subdivision 6, and Lacey Weekes for public school board trustee Subdivision 7.
