While the people of Portage la Prairie will vote a new mayor and council into office next week, citizens should not forget that they will also choose five trustees for the Portage la Prairie School Division Board.

Rod Brownlee, a Board Member for the last 12 years, is stepping away this time around as per his decision this past summer, citing his time had come to leave. However, he still has a massive soft spot for the board and hopes to see it flourish without him.

Brownlee says with 14 candidates running, it's essential that people take the time to learn about who they're voting for.

"Make some decisions that are going to benefit all of the students in Portage la Prairie."

Brownlee talks about past boards functioning adequately due to members who would set aside their egos.

"We haven't elected people with their own agendas, and that's what we really want to look at and see. It's got to be a community-based board and a board that's willing to look at everybody and everything."

The long-time Board Member stresses that while it may be easy to look past the trustee election with the limelight mainly on the new mayor and council, it's not something that should be put to the side.

"Take a good hard look at the candidates that are running for the Portage School board."

Brownlee adds that people who don't think the board does very much are incorrect in their analysis of reality.

"When they look at what's going on and what's happening with the school board, they see the day-to-day things that are in each of the schools, and that's important. But those day-to-day things are based on policy, and are based on budget, and those kinds of things, and that's the school board that makes those decisions."

Click here to read all the autobiographies about all the candidates for the school board election coming up on the 26th of October. 

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