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Jennifer Avery has served one term and is eager to provide much-needed infrastructure to Airdrie and surrounding communities.

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Ward 1 trustee to run for re-election

Rocky View Schools’ Ward 1 Trustee Jennifer Avery will seek re-election in the this fall’s municipal vote.

The former school bus driver and mother of three has served one term and is eager to provide much-needed infrastructure to Airdrie and surrounding communities.

“Infrastructure is absolutely top of the list,” said Avery. “I know Airdrie is at a critical point.”

Along with ending Airdrie’s class space issues, Avery said she would like to see a school built in Irricana where she lives.

“We’re the largest, small community around and every student is bused out.”

Beyond new schools, Avery pledges to build up funding for severe needs students.

“From gifted to very severely handicapped, we simply do not have enough funding for those kinds of things,” said Avery.

If re-elected, Avery faces a larger role after boundary changes will see Ward 1 adopt rural Airdrie. The City of Airdrie will become its own ward with two trustees.

Avery said she’s committed to instituting new technology in classrooms and offering additional public consultation on important issues.

“With a desire to consult more often, our board has established a new, collaborative model throughout the division in the last three years,” said Avery, who served as vice-chair on the board between 2009 and 2010.

If a new trustee were elected, they would have to face a steep learning curve, according to Avery, something she has already traversed.

“I’ve gotten over that little hump of a learning curve,” said Avery.

Currently, Avery has one opponent in Ward 1, outgoing Beiseker Chief Administrative Officer, JoAnn Lambert (see story below), and Avery won’t declare herself a shoe-in for re-election.

“I never count my chickens before they hatch because you never know with elections,” she said.