The South Shore School Board is holding public hearings to gain input into possible electoral boundary changes that could reduce the number of Queens County representatives from three to two on a 12-member board.
Two of the representatives – the African Canadian member and First Nations’ member – represent the South Shore as a whole. The other seven members are from Lunenburg County.
The board is required to review the number and boundaries of its elected school board seats every eight years. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, which will make the final decision, prefers the variance of voters per district be no higher than 10 per cent.
Two options will be presented to the public, including the Queens County reduction.
The board is holding a meeting 7 p.m. Jan. 7 in the Liverpool Regional High School cafeteria. The other scheduled meetings are Jan. 11 at the South Shore Regional School Board Office and 7 p.m. Jan. 14 at Bayview Community School in Mahone Bay.
Electoral District 3 board member, Elliott Payzant, who represents Polling Districts 8 and 9 in Queens County and Maitland Bridge, Annapolis County, said he expects parents will be concerned Lunenburg County representatives could “overrule” their Queens County representatives, a concern first expressed when the Southwest Regional School Board was divided into two boards.
He says they could hypothetically do that now, “but I do think the school board has worked well over the years.”
However, he says, “It does even the playing field a little bit to have three members from Queens County.”
In addition, he says other factors are involved, including geography. Although his numbers in terms of electors are low, the area he covers is large and time-consuming in terms of travel, he says.
Also in Queens Co., Electoral District 1 is comprised of Polling Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 and Electoral District 2 is comprised of Polling Districts 5, 6 and 7.
The first option is basically the status quo with some minor changes in addition to the African Canadian representative and First Nations’ representative.
However, the variance of electors per district in some of the districts would need to be approved by the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.
The second option would see Electoral District 3 incorporated into District 2. In addition, the area would include Polling District 8 in the Municipality of Lunenburg. Polling District 5 in Queens County would be moved to Electoral District 1.
The board’s boundary review options are available at
www.ssrsb.ca. The board has until Jan. 31, 2008 to submit its final application to the review board.
