WEYBURN – A longtime former police officer and school board trustee, Dana Pretzer, would like to make a return to the Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast Cornerstone School board, as he is one of three candidates running in the Weyburn trustee byelection to be held on Sept. 28.
Pretzer has served a number of terms as a school board trustee since 2000, starting on the Weyburn School Division No. 97, and serving as vice-chair and chair of the Sunrise School Division before it became Â鶹´«Ã½AVeast Cornerstone.
He retired from the Weyburn Police Service after 33 years, which gave him more time as a trustee with Cornerstone, as well as volunteering on a number of boards and committees in the community over the years.
“What I’ve seen in the last little bit is a lack of confidence in the board. With some recent incidents, funding issues and COVID, it’s been a very trying time for the public school division,” said Pretzer. “Now, with this opportunity, I’d like to offer my services to the electors. I believe I have the ability to help and maybe restore confidence to those who aren’t confident in the board.”
Among his concerns is the level of funding for school divisions by the province, and the budgeting by the Cornerstone school board, which included cutting of staff members for this new school year.
“Funding issues are going to be huge, and you start looking at staffing. We have to keep teachers and to recruit them,” said Pretzer. “We have to do everything we can for the kids.”
He acknowledged there are difficulties in local funding, as the provincial government took away the power for local school divisions to tax, and all property tax levels are set provincially.
“I want to be there to represent the electors of Weyburn and the other schools in Cornerstone, so they know I’m there as their voice. I’m there representing them, I’m not just a rubberstamp,” said Pretzer.
Even in the years he was on the school board, lack of government funding often meant boards had to go to their reserves to operate properly, and he said this is not a good situation to put divisions into.
“We struggle with each budget. That’s not just once, that’s happened quite a bit. I’m just one person, but it’s time to stand up to say that’s enough,” said Pretzer.
He promised that if he’s elected, he will be accessible to all residents.
“Holding a school board office is a very difficult position to be in. If you’re not accessible, the public is not going to know what’s going on. You have to be accessible,” said Pretzer, adding he’s offering a listening ear, and to have direct communication with anyone who has an issue or concern to discuss.
“I can see some of the public don’t have confidence in the board, and I want to try to change that.”
