Candy Nikipelo is the newest trustee with Aspen View Public Schools.
The Boyle women easily carried the day in the Ward 3 by-election Monday, winning by a count of 201-45 over Lisa Nakonechny.
Nikipelo is excited by the prospect of working to make education better for all the students in the division, but also happy and relieved the campaign is over.
“I feel good. We live in a tight community and I had lots of supporters at the start of the campaign. They had confidence in me and I am glad a number of the people who voted did too,” said Nikipelo, shortly after the results were released.
She was a bit surprised at the margin of victory, but is more than ready to get to work. Nikipelo will be being this new journey when the school board has their organizational meeting on Sept. 4.
“For me, it’s going to all be about learn, learn, learn,” she added. “I have never been on this board, but having been on the Boyle parent advisory board for several years we always had dealing with the local trustee. So, for the first few months, I will have my eyes and ears wide open.”
Both Nikipelo and her husband graduated from Boyle School, as well as many of her kids, so she is going to focus on the smaller rural schools and ensuring those students have the same chances as those that attend larger schools.
“Both Grassland and Boyle are K-12 schools with somewhat diminishing numbers. They deserve the same opportunities as all of the other schools,” she stated.
“There can be a big disparity in the option available and I would like to help close that gap.”
Nikipelo added that with a new school on the horizon for Athabasca, it will be the main focus of the board for the next two years and she will offer whatever input and expertise she is asked for.
As for Nakonechny, the result was a bit disappointing, but she was pleased with the turnout and that people went out at voted.
“I want to thank those that inspired me to run and that supported me. But, I also want to thank and congratulate Candy tonight. She has a huge responsibility ahead and I wish her all the best,” she said.
“Our kids education is so important and these too much at stake, I simply want to thank every who came out and participated in democracy.”
Nakonechny, who stated she will run in the next election in 2017, added, “With the new Education Act coming in 2015, the board will be helping to write policies for it, and as anti-bullying is an issue for me, I encourage everyone to talk to Candy and let her know what your thoughts are.”
