WESTLOCK - Two candidates are vying for the lone trustee position in Evergreen Catholic School’s Westlock Ward, which includes St. Mary School in the upcoming Oct. 18 election.
With over 20 years of experience as a school trustee, incumbent Caren Mueller will try to defend her seat against former Town of Westlock Coun. Clem Fagnan, who has over 20 years of experience in municipal politics.
Mueller was first elected as a trustee in 1995 following a six-year stint as the division’s secretary-treasurer and remained in the position until 2013 when she lost her seat to Bob Oko.
Mueller was acclaimed in 2017 and hopes to secure another term under her belt.
“St. Mary’s has been a big part of my life and I feel that I have a lot of experience, I have a proven track record, I have a solid understanding of governance and the role of a school board and the unique role and responsibilities of a catholic church,” said Mueller.
With five kids who attended SMS Mueller says she has a passion for the school and the education it provides to kids in Westlock.
“You want to see what’s best for the students, regardless of demographics. You want equal opportunity, you want to meet their learning needs, and if I’m elected again I will continue to be a strong advocate for our rural communities. We are unique, and you need that local representation to be able to bring that forward.”
Mueller also promises to continue to help develop a pandemic plan that can keep up with ever-changing restrictions and can be used in the future if necessary. She has also set her sights on enhancing and updating curriculum that has not been updated for some time, including band and arts
“There’s changes coming up and we’re going to have to work through that. There’s a lot of subject areas that haven’t been updated, like fine arts which hasn’t been updated for 35 years. There’s all types of curriculum changes that are going to be coming that we’re going to have look at so we can get the kids back to where the parents want them to be.”
Fagnan looking for a new project
Fresh out of a 20-year stint of municipal politics, Fagnan is hoping to apply the skills he’s picked up to Evergreen.
While initially planning to retire from politics, Fagnan says he was approached by community members and asked if he would consider the trustee position.
“I decided I was going to get out of municipal politics, but then a couple of days later some people approached me about running for the Evergreen school board. I hadn’t really thought about it, but a couple of days went by and I decided that I would ask them to see why they thought I was qualified to run for school board,” said Fagnan.
He says that according to others his experience with municipal politics and his willingness to help whenever needed were assets that made him a viable candidate.
“I always find that if I can help, I will get in there and help. I’ve always done that for the town and I will do that for the school. I think I have a lot to offer. I’m a family person and with the school, I feel like I’m part of that family.”
With three kids who were educated at SMS and a passion for the school, Fagnan hopes that a change in trustees will benefit both staff and students.
“Change is good. I’m sure Caren knows the position well but it feels like some people are compelled for change, and change is good.”
