Bill Stuebing has been a Red Deer Public School District trustee for the past 18 years and he isn’t ready to step down yet.
“You’re only as old as you feel and think,” said Stuebing, 69, with a laugh. “I was vice chair of the board for six years and served six years as chair, too. I think I’ve made a substantial contribution and I believe I can continue to do so.”
The sociology and criminology instructor at Red Deer College is seeking his seventh term with the board.
He wants to continue to work on the board’s strategic plan, which calls for improvement in literacy and high school completion, among other guiding principles.
“What makes these particularly important issues of the time is uncertain funding from the provincial government,” he said.
“Just a year ago, the government announced we’d receive predictable and sustained funding. Six months in, the funding model was changed and we were cut back mid-year.”
The board’s current challenge is looking at ways to ensure that the “integrity” of the district’s programs, many of which are directed at literacy and high school completion, are not compromised by budget issues, Stuebing said.
He is also interested in following through with the implementation of the Inspiring Education plan.
“It was a significant exercise and there are some exciting prospects coming out of that, like dual credits and high school flexibility.”
For Stuebing, married to Linda for 40 years, life has always been tightly bound with education.
Not only did their four children all graduate from Red Deer Public schools, but Stuebing also made it a priority to teach Sunday school and Boy Scout groups on top of his day job as a college instructor, which he began in 1967.
“I personally believe education is absolutely critical. ... There can be no disposable child.
“But the second half of it is that as we’re educating our children, we’re also designing the community that we’re going to be living in tomorrow.”
Other candidates are Raymond Yaworski, Milt Williams, Jim Watters, Bill Christie, Kurt Spady, Cathy Peacocke, Dianne Macaulay, Ben Ordman, Bev Manning, Dick Lemke, Lianne Kruger, Kerri Kenworthy and Shari Hanson.
rfrancoeur@www.reddeeradvocate.com