Rob Pirie announces intent to run again for GHSD board of trustees

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Golden Hills School Division Ward 4 Trustee, Rob Pirie, has announced he will be seeking reelection this fall for another term on the board.

Pirie, who retired as a teacher in 2017, explained he had originally thought about joining the board of trustees as an avenue to continue advocating for quality education within the region.

“I am a person who is very committed to public education … I think that Golden Hills is a school division that has long punched above its weight, and we do lots of great things in this system,” he said. “We have some amazing partnerships with the Town of Strathmore and the County of Wheatland, and so I entered with the idea that I wanted to make sure that our school system continued to be one of the leading school systems in the province, and it still is.”

Ongoing projects by the school system include a new facility in Acme, as well as the ongoing replacement of the old Westmount Elementary School in Strathmore.

Among the highlights Pirie described about the Golden Hills School Division, is the diversity of education opportunities available to students, which he aims to continue contributing to and supporting.

“We are a school division that offers school of choice – so you can decide if you want to go to a French immersion school, or if you want to go to a school which offers sports academies … I think that is something which is, quite frankly, very unique in the province, and is something that I think is very positive,” he said. “We are a school division which emphasizes site-based management, so the money goes to the school and the school administration, and staff make decisions closest to the students and the families, and I think that is really important.”

Should he see re-election to the board, Pirie added he would like to see the continued provision of adequate space for students, such that class sizes remain reasonable.

With the imminent construction of the De Havilland aircraft campus, the CGC wallboard manufacturing facility, and other external factors, Strathmore’s population is expected to grow significantly, which will equate to more families migrating to the town, and a surplus of new students to accommodate.

“There is going to have to be some expansion in [some] areas because Strathmore is continuing to grow … these are things that Golden Hills will have to respond to,” he said.

As nominations will not be complete until Sept. 20, Pirie has yet to finalize much of his campaign. The current objective is to raise awareness of his intent to be in the running and learning about questions and concerns throughout the community.

Board of Trustees elections will take place in tandem with the municipal elections, occurring Oct. 20.

Pirie is encouraging anyone in the community to connect with him in order to share their concerns and discuss the future of the school division.