CBE spending, class sizes put focus on trustee elections

This year's election for public school board trustees is drawing more attention than usual as the board faces increasing criticism fover a number of hot-topic issues.

The campaign doesn't usually garner much attention but this year's Palm Spring spending controversy, report card changes and increasing class sizes have many parents keeping a close eye on the election.

"There has been a bit of controversy around certainly the spending issues at the school board and I think primarily just people experiencing the larger class sizes," says Lori Williams, a policy studies professor at Mount Royal University. "Now they're going to be looking twice at the decisions made by the board and if they want to send a message as to whether or not they think those decisions were the right ones, they'll be looking much more closely at the school board race."

Every ward position is being contested in next month's election.

For voters, Williams says the decision boils down to whether parents want to elect people who have been critical of the board or keep them on the outside as watchdogs.

However, she says it's still too early to tell which way parents will vote.