New Flin Flon School Division (FFSD) superintendent Tammy Ballantyne remembers exactly where she was when she found out the division’s top job was hers - out of town.
“I was away from work in Prince Albert. They called me while I was in Prince Albert. I don't remember the exact date. I was super excited. I was happy to get the job and excited to have the opportunity,” she said.
With the school year now underway, the now-former assistant superintendent of the division has moved well into the big chair, taking over from Constance McLeese. McLeese, who began working as the division’s superintendent in 2016, retired earlier this summer. After opening up the job application process to both local and out-of-town talent, the division found the person they were looking for right down the hall.
Ballantyne sat in on her first public school board meeting as superintendent Aug. 27. She said the transition to her new spot has been a smooth one.
“It's been going great. I'm working with a great staff of people. It's gone very smoothly,” Ballantyne said.
In her previous job as assistant superintendent, Ballantyne got a first-hand look at how McLeese operated, learning on the fly.
“She was great in including me in things all the way through, so it wasn't a huge transition into the position,” Ballantyne said of McLeese.
“She was a fabulous mentor to me all the way through her position. There are big shoes to fill, there's no doubt. I hope that I can fill a portion of them. It was just incredible what she brought to the table.”
The new post has meant some changes for Ballantyne, both inside and outside the division. Before being named superintendent, Ballantyne chaired the Northeast Regional Housing Authority, a group tasked with providing affordable housing in Creighton, Denare Beach and other communities. Ballantyne stepped down from her post with the housing authority to fully absorb her new job.
Along with the superintendent’s title comes a number of other board commitments. Ballantyne will be the FFSD representative for several local causes, including a spot on the board of directors for University College of the North (UCN), the Flin Flon Public Library board and the Workplace Safety and Health committee.
“It’s a different feeling. It was a little bit intimidating to begin with, but it's going to get easier as things go. Maybe a little pressure, but not a bad pressure, a different kind of pressure,” she said.
As superintendent, Ballantyne hopes to stay the course for the division, working off the blueprint of the division’s strategic plan and avoiding anything rash.
“Those are definitely my top goals and priorities, to continue with those for this school year. Constance set us up very well, in terms of what she left for me to do. Just continuing with that work is what my main priority will be,” she said.
The division is looking at possible uncertainty in the near future. In a community that has seen net migration in every federal census since 1961, shrinking enrolment in the division’s four facilities will be a concern. That comes along with Hudbay’s current intention to shut down the 777 mine, likely including large scale reductions at the company’s mill and zinc plant facilities, in 2022.
Ballantyne said if emergency measures will need to be taken, she’s prepared. Planning within the division for scaling back operations in case of a Hudbay shutdown was first announced publicly last year. The goal is simple - to ride out any potential storms while keeping students well looked after.
“I guess it's hard to say, depending on how our enrollment goes. It’s something we'll always have to reevaluate if enrollment numbers start to decline. At this point, we’re keeping things as-is and I'm hoping for the best,” she said.
“It's definitely behind the scenes kind of work continuing. It’s a backup plan in the event that we do have a declining enrollment. There's nothing to share at this point, because we're not there.”
Other potential issues may be on the horizon. An ongoing provincial review of K-12 education has left some members of the division’s publicly elected board sounding the alarm, saying the review may lead to amalgamation of northern school boards and negative impacts on students.
Ballantyne wants to focus on what the division is doing right currently and move the group forward.
“I think we're in great shape going forward. We have great board members, we have a great staff of teachers and educational systems administrators, board employees. We're in a really good position, I think.”
