The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
What's New and What's Not? What should Manitoba school trustees be paid? Many voters and many trustees view it as a volunteer position, a public service by those who are community minded. In many cases it is, most particularly in rural and northern communities with any stipend or expenses received really a small amount for the time spent. This has changed during the past two years as the NDP government has forced amalgamation of some school divisions at least partly to save money (they didn't!), demonstrating beyond a doubt their control over the elected boards. Two years ago one of the newly combined school boards, River East-Transcona, granted themselves a substantial raise in pay to $ 16,500 per year plus a car allowance. This put Winnipeg School Division in second place with $15,000 plus more for the chair and vice-chair. Winnipeg trustees promptly raised their pay to regain top place. Both divisions are pikers compared to school districts in north-west Florida. Allowed for the first time to set their own pay, trustees gave themselves a stipend of $28,000 to $ 36,000 in the five districts with all receiving more than beginning teachers. In fact, in St. Petersburg it would take a beginning teacher 15 years to reach the trustees' $36,333 pay. Recently, one of the Florida boards approved a pay increase for themselves of $37,085 Ð the same for all board members. It will still take a teacher with a degree 15 years to get to this amount. Speaking of teacher's salaries, the average salary in this southern state is $40,000 and even a teacher with a doctor's degree and 10 years experience makes only $38,650 while the national average is $46,000. All of these numbers are much less than what Canadian teachers receive. For example, one teacher I know well with three degrees and 10 years experience is making $70,000 per year. It is interesting to note that one teachers' union in one of the N.W. school districts mentioned polled 400 voters (73% had no school children) and asked if they would support a tax on property to pay for increased teacher's salaries. According to the union, about 53% agreed. Apart from skepticism about self-serving polls, the "American Way" is to have a referendum on the issue at election time. Most requests for tax increases are condemned to defeat, and this one proposing a 50 cent levy for each $1,000 of valuation will probably suffer a similar fate. The trustees defend their pay, citing long hours and a difficult job. It is ironic that in the large urban districts school divisions have numerous superintendents, co-ordinators, and other staff to run the school system. Calgary, with one school board for the entire city has a massive administration building, filled with staff. In smaller/rural districts where it is difficult to justify a large bureaucracy, trustees are required to take a more hands on approach-for less money! By the way, school trustees making unpopular decisions, regardless of their sincere intentions, are often subject to severe criticism from the public as the Creighton school board is experiencing. Nothing gets the taxpayers and parents more excited than decisions regarding their schools. A few years ago in deep blue Tory country, S.W. Manitoba, one of the school boards closed a high school, and bussed the students to a near-by town. There was a demonstration at the legislature, and the local MLA, Tory heavyweight, Jim Downey received personal threats from his fellow conservative, not radical voters. It is hardly new but many Manitobans are probably unaware of the Commemorative Names Project which was actually started by the Federal government in 1946. The committee names lakes and rivers after Canadians killed in World War Two and Korea, and attempts to contact all families of the Canadian heroes. As of last fall 4,200 bodies of water in Manitoba have been named, but only 2,900 families have been located by the committee. Head of the committee is Gerald Holm of Winnipeg who heads a staff of volunteers. The excellent Remembrance Day issue of The Reminder printed the names of all Flin Flonners who made the supreme sacrifice in World War Two. Were all honoured by this program? If any reader would like to inquire about a family member or friend feel free to contact Mr. Holm at 204-945-1798 or e-mail at [email protected] . By the way, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are the only provinces to have honoured all service people killed in action.
