Election day is Oct. 24, and candidates hoping to make a difference in education in Simcoe County have already started campaigning.
CollingwoodToday.ca posed questions to candidates running for the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) trustee position representing Area 6: Collingwood and Wasaga Beach.
There are five candidates running for the seat: Mike Foley, Al Halimic, Bob Lima, Barbara-Anne Smith and Audrey Stukas.
When reached by CollingwoodToday.ca, Lima declined to participate. Audrey Stukas did not return multiple requests for comment.
The Simcoe County District School Board is comprised of 87 elementary schools, 15 secondary schools and seven learning centres. The schools serve about 55,925 students. The public board is governed by 12 trustees – 11 elected to represent the various municipalities of Simcoe County and one appointed to represent the county's First Nation communities
The board oversaw the administration of a $654-million operating budget in 2022.
Voters will only vote for one of the board trustees. By default, a voter's card will include the English public board (Simcoe County District School Board), unless a voter has directed their school board taxes to a Catholic or French board.
Answers have been edited for clarity.
1. What is your background, for people who may not know you?
Mike Foley: My interest in education began as a parent. When our son was in school we took an active part in his education by getting involved in a variety of school activities. I taught at Sheridan College for several years as well as being a program facilitator for the Ontario government. I have been a school board trustee for the Upper Grand School Board since 2018 and this has provided me with a solid understanding of how school boards work with their communities.
Al Halimic: My family and I have called Wasaga Beach home for nearly a decade. I have been married to my wife for a happy 10 years. We share a daughter who is enrolled in the English school board and our son is eager to get his chance to start his journey very soon. I enjoy anything that involves the outdoors and enjoy reading a good book.
Barbara-Anne Smith: I was born and raised in the GTA and made Wasaga Beach my home in 2015. I have held administrative jobs in my early working life but for the last 25 years, I have been a school bus driver, a transit and para-transit driver, and now I am a tour-bus driver. My most important experience is as a mother. I have two children: ages 27 and 12. I have been passionate about children and education for as long as I can remember. Had opportunities in my life been different, I aspired to be a teacher. I believe it is my lived experience to this point that prepares me for the role of school trustee as I have advocated for myself, my children and my community at different times. I am a compassionate, critically thinking individual and I am committed to being progressive, open-minded and collaborative in approaching the complex issues that currently face us in developing equitable, inclusive public education for the future. I look forward to serving my community as a school trustee as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic as I think that this is a critical time in our history and I would love to be instrumental in finding an equitable path forward so that all of the children in our community are able to achieve their potential and become avid lovers of learning and the opportunities that education provides.
2. What is your vision for the public school board in your area? Are you happy with the way things are? What would you like to see change?
Mike Foley: I see the path ahead for our students clearly marked, by a nurturing culture of care and guidance. Our educational system is good but can always be improved. Our school board needs to develop the necessary mental health support systems because students have endured almost three years of COVID chaos. I will work in partnership with our community stakeholders to provide the necessary tools for improved post-pandemic student achievement.
Al Halimic: Two very important areas come to mind: building new schools (this includes a new high school for Wasaga Beach, and repairing schools where required. This will enhance the health and safety of our students, educators and school administrators. I also want to improve the current curriculum on all levels to ensure our students and children are globally competitive.
Barbara-Anne Smith: The current mission and vision of the SCDSB resonates deeply with me. I have always supported equity in our schools; the vision that all children do not get exactly the same thing but that they get the thing that they as an individual require to support and underpin their particular learning needs. Education leads to opportunity, a path out of poverty or other challenges and is vital to a safe, democratic and thriving society. I want to be a part of continuing to build that here in Collingwood and Wasaga Beach as well as in Simcoe County as a whole. The pillars of equity, diversion and inclusion are vitally important to the health and growth of our community as we evolve into the next chapter of our history. Once I am elected as trustee, I am excited to see what opportunities I will have to participate in committees and activities that further the SCDSB’s strategic plans in the most fruitful ways.
3. Funding for schools comes from the provincial government, but the trustee position is at the municipal level. How do you plan to balance provincial, municipal and resident concerns?
Mike Foley: Collaboration and compromise are important components in achieving results when communicating with multi-layered governments. Being a trustee, I know that a key factor in creating positive change is through the power of community. Consulting with parents, students and educational staff provides insight into the educational needs of our community. Working with these groups and other community stakeholders provides the valuable direction I need in order to achieve the necessary goals required for student success.
Al Halimic: If elected, I will have a strong and respectful voice at the table on behalf of all my constituents. I am ready and eager to work with provincial and municipal partners to ensure our area gets what our students and children deserve.
Barbara-Anne Smith: Balancing the needs of all constituents and students will require leadership, vision, co-operation and the ability to see and think both small and big picture. We as trustees will need to practice the self-discipline and habits of thinking of the community, the province and the larger, global society as we develop and support policies and practices moving forward.
4. In your opinion, what is the biggest school-board-level issue in your area? How do you plan to deal with that issue?
Mike Foley: There is a need for structural improvements in a number of schools as many are older buildings and request investment in order to provide a safe and secure environment for learning. Wasaga Beach has been asking for a secondary school for quite some time and Wasaga’s population is growing to the point where that want has become a need. I want to meet with parents, students and staff to know what their concerns are and collectively work to find real solutions to the issues at hand.
Al Halimic: Building new schools, hiring more teachers and ECEs so our students and children are the focus of world-class public education.
Barbara-Anne Smith: I don’t believe that there is only one school-board-level issue in Collingwood and Wasaga Beach. Rather, I think that there is a confluence of challenges that are facing our education systems at this particular time and how we choose to manage and mitigate these challenges dictates our future success. We are emerging from a pandemic with parents, teachers and students all stressed and worried about public education from different, but all equally important and valid perspectives. These have been truly unprecedented times in public education, right back to 2019 and beyond. Simcoe County, Collingwood and Wasaga Beach in particular are facing tremendous growth in population and development in the next decade or so. I feel that it is incumbent upon government and school boards to navigate these sometimes conflicting needs and challenges with strong, positive, creative leadership and I would very much like to be a part of that. It will require listening, negotiating, compromising and crafting important plans for growth and development at individual, community and provincial levels.
5. Is there anything else you’d like people in the area to know about you?
Mike Foley: I worked for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services for three decades. I also have two diplomas in social science and recreation. I was the president and director of Waste Wise, an environmental charity in Halton Hills from 2001-2019, co-founder of The Bread Basket Food Bank, board member of Wellington Water Watchers and a local executive for OPSEU. Recently I started a bicycle repair program with Guelph students that provided repaired bikes to Ukrainian refugees and marginalized communities. Our family happily resides in Wasaga Beach.
Al Halimic: I’m a fair and open-minded person who is looking to make an impact on our biggest investment: our children. We must start now and plan for future generations. The status quo is unacceptable.
Barbara-Anne Smith: Did not submit a response to this question.
