Hanover School Board grapples with access to applicant lists for leadership positions

Hanover school trustees entertained a request for board members to see a list of all applicants for employment within the division. 

Shayne Barkman presented the motion at the public school board meeting this month. 

“I move that trustees are able but not obligated to see the list of applicants that initially apply for each employment position in the Hanover School division,” he stated. “My rationale for this motion is to improve the transparency in the communities that we serve.” 

Barkman added that having access to this information would be helpful in ensuring they are “making the best decision possible every time we hire.” 

This motion was seconded by Dallas Wiebe. 

Before trustees voted on this motion, there was a request to amend the wording. 

Cheryl Froese asked Barkman to consider changing the motion, for trustees to be notified of applicants for only principal positions, noting that Hanover has a “huge employee base” and that they have very qualified senior administration who take care of the hiring process for teachers. 

“That’s a big amendment to this,” commented Chair Brad Unger. 

After a bit more discussion, Barkman agreed to amend the motion, asking for trustees to have access to the list of applicants for principal and vice-principal positions. 

This sparked debate on whether trustees already receive this information. 

“We asked our administration to provide that to us and they did, with reasoning why they short-listed these people,” said Danielle Funk, noting that trustees are given the list of all applicants for these leadership positions and reasons why they were not selected for the short list. “It may not be before our interviews, but it was provided to us afterward.” 

Barkman responded, saying there have been several instances when trustees have not received this information.  

With this amended motion before the board, Charmaine Toews stated that this motion was unnecessary because the board had already discussed this issue and had reached an agreement with the superintendents. 

“This motion is clearly unnecessary because they already agreed to provide us with the short list,” Toews said. 

Superintendent Shelley Amos confirmed that since the discussion last year, senior administration provides the list of applicants, who made the short list, and the justification for those decisions. 

Trustees voted 5-4 in opposition of the amended motion ‘that trustees are able but not obligated to see the list of applicants that initially apply for each principal and vice-principal position in HSD.’