Class sizes and equal education opportunities top the list of priorities for Red Deer Public School District board trustee candidate Kerri Kenworthy.
The 35-year-old mother of five children, four school-aged, drives a school bus and is already involved in her school and children’s lives. She wants to take the next step and become a trustee.
“In Red Deer our schools are getting really full and its getting harder and harder for teachers to teach more and more kids,” said Kenworthy.
Taking the increasing class sizes she sees into consideration, Kenworthy wonders if the school board and the city is prepared enough for the growth that is projected.
“There is nothing worse than getting your class list and seeing you don’t have enough desks for all the students,” she said. “We need to be prepared.”
She also said, as a school bus driver, she sees the effect that long bus rides have on students.
She has also served on several parent councils.
“I’m a real mom dealing with the same issues everyone else is dealing with because I have kids in the system and have been in the schools a lot,” said Kenworthy.
Another key issue for Kenworthy is ensuring students in the city get equal education experiences, and not have it differ based on where they live.
“I think its very important everyone has the same opportunities,” said Kenworthy. “It shouldn’t be based on where you live is what kind of education you are going to get. We need to make sure we’re being equal and fair to all students.”
She pointed specifically to Smart boards and how not every classroom has one.
She has been involved in fundraisers to buy Smart boards for classrooms.
Trustee candidates will be on the Oct. 21 municipal ballot along with city council and mayoral candidates.
Other Red Deer Public School trustee candidates are Bill Christie, Shari Hanson, Lianne Kruger, Dick Lemke, Dianne Macaulay, Bev Manning, Ben Ordman, Cathy Peacocke, Kurt Spady, Bill Stuebing, Jim Watters, Milt Williams and Raymond Yaworski.
mcrawford@www.reddeeradvocate.com