Yellowknifers will not only cast their votes for a new mayor and city council on October 19, but they will also be choosing representatives for two local school boards. Traditionally, the school trustee election has coincided with the municipal election, though it typically garners less attention. To simplify the process and boost voter turnout, this year voters can conveniently fill out their ballots for mayor, council, and school trustees at the same voting booth.
David Wasylciw, the current school trustee for Yellowknife Education District 1 (YK1), will not be seeking re-election. He is also the founder of OpenNWT, a non-profit organization dedicated to making government information accessible to the public and regularly hosts forums for local elections. Wasylciw expressed optimism that the new voting setup will lead to increased voter participation.
In the past, voters had to visit a separate table to obtain the school board ballot after voting for the city positions. Wasylciw noted that many people did not follow through to the second table, and believes that for the first time in 15 years, voters can pick up both ballots at the first table. This change came about through collaborative efforts between school boards and MLAs to align the election processes for the city and school board, streamlining the voting experience.
This year marks the first time Elections N.W.T. is coordinating the city and school board elections. Stephen Dunbar, the chief electoral officer for the N.W.T., mentioned that they engaged in discussions with the school boards and city officials about ways to enhance the election process, leading to this joint initiative. The current election serves as a pilot project where Elections N.W.T. is actively supporting all three local authorities.
All eligible voters for the municipal election can also participate in the school trustee election, regardless of whether they have children in the school system. Voters have the option to choose between YK1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools when selecting the board to support, unless they allocate 100% of their school board taxes to one board, in which case they can only vote for that specific board.
School trustees play a crucial role in governance, focusing on matters such as budgets and policies rather than day-to-day operations. Trustees are responsible for appointing the superintendent, and the position comes with compensation as outlined in the YK1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools bylaws. Wasylciw emphasized the significance of school board elections, highlighting the longstanding history of school governance in Yellowknife and underscoring the importance of community input in local schools through the trusteeship.
