While citizens elected to school boards across the province come from a variety of backgrounds, Cranbrook is probably unique in having a trustee with both a teaching and a business background, and who lives in Area C but works and owns a company in Cranbrook.

“I was a teacher before I started my own business,” said Cranbrook school trustee (School District No. 5) Dan Hall, “so I come to the Board of Trustees with a background that balances frontline experience in the classroom with the skills required to keep a tight rein on administrative and facility costs.” He also adds that having lived both inside and out of Cranbrook city limits widens his perspective on the benefits and challenges of each. “I’m particularly concerned with catchments and how they affect kids and neighbourhoods, and the challenges that bus students face as well.”

Hall says that strengthening the school community is one of his highest priorities, and that children are at their best when they’re secure within their environment and day-to-day routines.

Hall is a father of four and grandfather of two who was first elected to the board in 2008.  He echoes the sentiment of fellow trustees that the present board has worked hard to keep schools open and not cut programs. “As a parent and teacher, I can see how important it is to keep education dollars in the classroom. As a businessman, I consider it my responsibility to ensure that we get as much traction out of each of those dollars as possible.”

“I’m really proud of the fact that during my tenure we have not closed any schools in Cranbrook. It’s given our kids the stability and security they need to succeed. We’ve also maintained programs, such as GAUGE (Guide, Assist, Unite, Goals, Excel), which takes at-risk students and prepares them for re-entry into the regular school setting,” said Hall. “This program was on the chopping block, but instead it’s now a model for similar programs in other districts.”

Hall emphasizes that the effort has been a serious challenge each year but points out that the board has been successful in spite of declining funding by inviting school community feedback on issues and listening closely to teachers and parents before decisions are made. He believes that this approach has produced positive dividends throughout SD5.

“Trustees should be conduits for parents to make grass root changes and to ensure that their voices are heard at all levels within the district. It’s our job to take what we hear and translate that into action at the board level.” Hall lists a number of examples where this new collaboration with the school community has produced ‘out of the box’ solutions.

“We were able to get a new long distance travel bus for Mount Baker by working with parents, school administrators and getting some amazing help from our CUPE drivers,” explained Hall. “We also assisted parents to save the Parkland Hockey Academy, a program that provides skills and training to any child with a desire to learn the game.  We’ve worked with TM Roberts parents to keep the French immersion program viable. And when we were stalled on a playground installation I was able to reach out to the business community to give us a hand.”

Hall says he knows that it’s these partnerships that are going to keep SD5 thriving. “Funding challenges are inevitable,” he says, “but that doesn’t mean we give up programs and amenities, it means it’s time to be open minded and create the solutions we need.”

Hall also stresses the importance of the coming election and urges voters to go to the polls on November 19.

“We’ve committed to respond to the voice of the community, so it’s imperative that the community stand up and be heard.  I ask that citizens of Cranbrook and Area C get to the polls and vote for your school trustees. Personally, I have been honoured to serve on the board for the past three years and if re-elected will continue to work for the students of SD5.

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