New and old faces elected as school board trustees

CORNER BROOK - Three incumbents have been re-elected for trustee positions within the Bay of Islands/Humber zone of the Western School District.

June Alteen, Nada Borden and Dr. Paul Wilson will all return after the results from the election were announced late Tuesday evening. Five positions were available in the zone, meaning two new names have been added to the mix.

Alteen had the strongest show of support with 446 votes, followed by Borden (384), Carl Barrett (324), Wilson (261) and Robert Barrett (251). Unsuccessful were Malcolm Turner (219), Frances Drover (207), Nathalie Pender (126), Marylyn Murphy (126), Patricia Dwyer (125), Serge Cormier (117), Terry Randell (116) and David Taylor (95).

"I want to congratulate all of the candidates who put their name forward to run for office," said Borden after the results were in.

"There were 13 people who put their names forward for a purely volunteer position but, of course, after you're elected you are accountable to your electorate.

"I just want to congratulate all of them and thank them for putting their names forward."

In the other zones within the Western School District, Dennis Normore captured the lone seat available in the Labrador South zone, beating out Delbert Pike by a 263 to 194 count.

Scott Burden took the seat in the Vinland-White Bay Central zone with 261 votes, beating out Gertrude Bromley (170), Alonzo Bessey (165) and Boyd Noel (99).

There were two seats up for grabs in the Gros Morne-Deer Lake-White Bay South zone, with Chris Aubert (351) and Donna Keough (187) emerging victorious. Harry Hewitt was the other candidate, garnering 114 votes.

Although Borden said there were no major issues facing the school board at this time, but there are always challenges and possible improvements that present themselves.

"One of the big challenges we've just come through is the reorganization of the school system within Corner Brook with declining enrollment," she said.

"Another one of our big challenges has always been student achievement and graduation rates, as well as maintaining our buildings to provide safe and quality education facilities for our students and providing the best possible education that we can."

cquigley@thewesternstar.com