One of two candidates running to fill the vacancy on the Southeast Cornerstone School board, Brandon Tichkowsky, is hoping he can make a difference by being involved in local education issues.
The vacancy was created when Weyburn board member Warren Betker stepped down from the position. There are two candidates running in the byelection, Tichkowsky and Norma Hewitt-Lendrum, and the vote will take place on Wednesday, March 7 at the board office.
“I’ve always enjoyed politics and I’ve always enjoyed being involved in the community this way,” he said on why he is running, noting he sat on the school board in the Pangman area until the Southeast Cornerstone School Division amalgamation was established.
One of the aspects he enjoyed about being on the board previously was the effort to “create a positive school and community atmosphere where they were involved with each other.”
When issues arise in the school division, Tichkowsky said, there needs to be more open discussion so the entire community will benefit.
“That’s what it feels like as a member of the community,” he said. “When I was on the board, the idea was to have more community involvement in our school, with an openness so people are aware of what’s going on. I think we have a lot of good people working on the board, but we need to have more involvement.”
Tichkowsky has three children who are in school, but pointed out that everyone has a vested interest in the education system, not just those who have children in the system.
“What happens in schools affects our community. I think it’s important to make sure we have a say in what goes on in our schools,” he said, adding he hopes there will be more transparency in board decisions.
In a previous election bid, Tichkowsky ended up in a tie with Dana Pretzer, and Pretzer was chosen to sit as the trustee.
