The Pembina Hills school division will establish a communications director, with an estimated price tag of $160,000, in a one-year position in order to build "communications capacity” amongst staff. In a recorded vote at the their June 10 meeting in Barrhead, trustees Annette Bokenfohr, Kim Webster, Jan Hoffart, Sheri Watson and Judy Lefebvre voted in favour of the motion to establish a communications director position, while trustees Jennifer Tuininga and Jackie Comeau voted against it.
The Pembina Hills school division will establish a communications director, with an estimated price tag of $160,000, in a one-year position in order to build 'communications capacity" amongst staff.
In a recorded vote at the their June 10 meeting in Barrhead, trustees Annette Bokenfohr, Kim Webster, Jan Hoffart, Sheri Watson and Judy Lefebvre voted in favour of the motion to establish a communications director position, while trustees Jennifer Tuininga and Jackie Comeau voted against it.
Lefebvre, who put forward the motion, said she was prompted to do so after attending a session put on by the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) regarding the importance of having a communications spokesperson.
'One of (the speaker's) opening comments was that a communications person on your board should be right up there with your top administrators," she said.
'There are so many social issues that cause people to react in certain ways. It is great to have a communication person who can create a really positive tap out into the public, so that if a crisis should arise, those pathways ... have been laid by this communications person."
Comeau noted the board had previously establishing a communications director for a one-year position prior to the provincial 2015 Budget. They had a candidate in mind and the cost of this initiative was estimated at $160,000.
Ultimately, it was decided not to go ahead due to the cuts in education spending within the 2015 budget. However, those have largely been reversed by the NDP government.
Comeau said she felt there were other things they could spend that money on that were more beneficial to kids, adding that they should wait to see what the situation is in Alberta with the new government.
Tuininga also said that it is not the right time to implement such a position given the resources required. Although she agreed it is a great position to have, she noted they can access communication services through the ASBA when needed.
Hoffart said she had mixed feelings on the subject, noting that while it is good to have a communications director to deal with major issues, they had also advocated very strongly prior to the provincial election about spending money on students.
'Is it good for kids? That's the question that keeps ringing in my head."
However, she later indicated she was in favour of hiring a temporary communications director for a year.
Bokenfohr said she attended the same ASBA session as Lefebvre and supported her motion. 'I think in this day and age when everything is instantly on media, whether it's Twitter or Facebook or through texting," she added.
'I think we have an opportunity to have someone direct us in the next year on this position and I am for it."
Lefebvre noted that Pembina Hills was hit with controversy in 2013 when a former trustee commented that LGBT students should 'hide" their sexuality.
Those comments were immediately tweeted out and got into the public.
She questioned when it would be the best time to establish a position like this - there will always be some issue that seems to take precedence.
'If we take that mindset, we would never hire anybody to fill the position of communications director for our district," she said.
While it isn't of direct benefit to kids, hiring a communications director benefits the system as a whole, she said.
Comeau said they have worked hard to build up trust in Pembina Hills over the past several years. Given everything that happened with the budget, this is just not the time for such a move.
Watson, who also attended the ASBA session, said their staff have all told the board that they would like more communications training to deal with unexpected controversies.
'If we have someone who can say,
‘OK, here's what you do' right away, I think that's a good thing. It will train our people. And if we're doing it for one year ... I think that's wonderful," Watson said.
She noted they might not have the opportunity to establish a communications director in the future, noting the candidate they had in mind may not be available.
Bokenfohr also noted that trustees really want to get into community engagement over the next two years and this communications spokesperson would greatly help in this way.
'That was another point that this person made at the (ASBA) session," said Lefebvre.
'You get a lot more respect from your communities when you have someone who just stands for (communications).
'They are the go-to. They are the spokesperson."
Webster said that with education restored by the NDP government, they aren't in the same 'conundrum" anymore and she was in favour of trying to secure the communications director.
'I don't like that it's a larger-dollar position, but it is what it is as far as the world of communications directors go," she said.
