Chinook's Edge School Division administrators had the opportunity to meet and hear from incoming Superintendent Ryan Sawula during their regular meeting on March 12.
Present Superintendent Kurt Sacher urged those at the meeting to adopt a positive outlook on transition and informed the audience that he has been impressed with Sawula thus far. He believes that under Sawula's direction, the division will continue to do a fantastic job.
During the same section of the meeting, board chair Holly Bilton formally "pinned" Sawula with a Chinook's Edge "where students come first" pin.
She acknowledged that there had only been one Superintendent transition in 27 years in the Chinook's Edge School Division, and said “One reason for that is because Kurt has been such a great leader.” Administrators responded with a round of applause. Bilton wished Sacher “every success in the future.”
“I’ve always been impressed with the culture in Chinook’s Edge,” said Sawula to the group, “and I wanted to be a part of that. I appreciate the focus on putting students first, and I am grateful to be joining a strong school division.”
“In the transition plan, which I would also call a continuity plan, I intend to get to know people and establish relationships. I want to listen first,” he said.
Sawula stated that he does not plan to make major changes.
“I plan to take a collaborative approach and work together to form any plans. We will decide together where Chinook’s Edge goes, and use feedback loops to make sure we get it right."
Sacher retires on May 30th. On June 2, 2025, Ryan Sawula becomes Superintendent
At Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, where he most recently served as Deputy Superintendent, Sawula has spearheaded several projects centred on career pathways, curriculum development, leadership, mentoring, Indigenous learning, and community involvement.
The school division has 12 schools in neighbouring communities, including Olds, Mountain View County, Didsbury, Crossfield and Carstairs. Chinook's Edge has a total of 11,000 students across 40 Central Alberta schools.
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