The Garden Valley School Division had its annual Municipal Leaders Breakfast earlier this week — an event meant to bring together elected officials from the region to strengthen ties, share updates, and discuss the challenges facing local education.
Board Chair Leah Klassen says the breakfast was a chance to communicate the division’s goals and challenges.
“We are very happy to have great relationships with our municipalities,” Klassen said. “They are education partners, and we appreciate the opportunity to connect with them and let them know what the school division is up to.”
Opportunity to align
This year's agenda included updates on GVSD’s strategic plan and budget, along with open discussion on current issues impacting the division. Klassen noted that these meetings are about more than just providing information — they’re also about making sure municipal leaders are well-informed when it comes to the education system.
“Oftentimes, they are asked about educational issues in their role. So we feel that it's important for them to know the things that they need to know in order to work with our constituents,” she explained. “Our people are all the same, and we want to make sure that they have the information that they need.”
In the lead-up to the breakfast, GVSD’s leadership team reviews the division’s strategic plan and prepares to highlight some of the most pressing concerns in education today, especially those requiring provincial advocacy.
Klassen pointed to the ongoing strain in rural mental health services as a concern.
“Our mental health supports in rural Manitoba are lacking, and so the school division picks up an awful lot of the slack,” she said. “That’s an area where we advocate as a school division, as a province, on either additional funding or simply recognition of the fact that our students are coming with higher needs.”
For Klassen, the collaborative effort between school boards just makes sense.
“We're all elected leaders. And a region is only as strong as its elected leaders are. The collaboration between the municipality and the school division is important in just moving forward in an approach that is best for students.”
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Bridging gaps
Education, Klassen said, is a topic that often arises in spaces where it technically falls outside of municipal jurisdiction — but that’s where meetings like this come in.
“If we can provide them with information and understanding as to how education works, they're able to take that forward.”
Klassen hopes the conversations will lead to shared strategies, such as promoting student attendance or encouraging employers to be mindful about hiring practices that might impact a student’s education.
“We’re not taking kids out of school to offer them full-time jobs, right? Those kinds of things. It’s a great conversation to be able to have with them so that they also understand how the school division works and functions, and what we might be dealing with.”
An appreciation for strong partnerships
Klassen also expressed appreciation for the support the division receives from local leaders.
“We’re very fortunate to have the municipalities and the municipal leaders that we have,” she said. “They are incredibly supportive of the school division and the school system and public education. We are grateful for their partnership and their willingness to come to the table and have those conversations.”
To stay up to date on all things GVSD, visit the Garden Valley School Division website.