How To Vote
Visit the Foothills school district's website here to find your voting times and locations.
Election Survey
| Ward | Candidate Name | Responded |
|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview) | Shanon Hines | ✅ |
| Jack Molyneux | ❌ | |
| Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County) | Sherry Butler | ✅ |
| John Evans | ❌ | |
| Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake) | Theresa Letendre | ❌ |
| Ward 4 (Okotoks) | Sharon Nichols | ❌ |
| Lisa Penzo | ❌ | |
| Erin Punko | ❌ | |
| Ward 5 (High River) | Jenn Murray | ❌ |
| Jackie Roe | ❌ | |
| Fred Woods | ✅ |
Question 1
Parents have consistently said they believe school boards should prioritize core academics. Do you believe that priority is currently reflected in your school board's budget? If not, what would you change?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: I think that school boards are trying to do too many things. We need to simplify and put as many resources as possible into frontline staff working to build strong academic skills.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: No. We need to refocus on the basic foundations of education. That's the priority that parents want for their children.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Core academics must remain at the heart of public education. While I believe Foothills School Division is committed to student learning, I also recognize that educators are being asked to do more with less. If elected, I would advocate for a budget that more clearly prioritizes literacy, numeracy, and foundational learning outcomes—while also ensuring that schools have the resources to support inclusion, wellness, and student engagement. We must strike a balance that reflects our core purpose: learning.
Question 2
Do you believe the money following the student to the education that parents choose is an important element of accountability for public education or a threat?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: I think it’s important.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: Yes. If our public system is not offering what parents want, they need the option to move their child to the school that does.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: I believe in accountability, choice, and strong public education—but we must be careful about how we balance these priorities. When public dollars are redirected to alternative education settings, it can unintentionally weaken the capacity of public schools to serve all students equitably. Public education is designed to be inclusive and accessible, and it thrives when we invest in its success. Accountability should be built into how we support students within the public system—through transparent reporting, community engagement, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Rather than framing education as a marketplace, I believe we should focus on collaboration and ensuring every child has access to high-quality learning, regardless of where they live or their background.
Question 3
Do you believe local decision-makers should take responsibility for local decisions, or do you believe decisions are best made centrally?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: I think that decisions should be made locally.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: I believe we need to bring decision making back to our local boards.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Local decision-making is essential. Trustees are elected to represent their communities, and they must be empowered to make decisions that reflect local values, needs, and priorities. While provincial guidance is important, the most effective and responsive education systems are those where local voices are heard and respected.
Question 4
Do you believe your school board is currently transparent enough with parents and taxpayers? What would you change?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: I think that votes of trustees should be public. That is one thing I would change. At present, tax payers don’t know how their representative voted.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: No. The recent example of sexually explicit graphic material is an example of parents not be aware of information that was available to their children.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Transparency is foundational to public trust. While Foothills School Division has made strides in communication, I believe there is always room to improve. I would advocate for clarity ensuring that parents and taxpayers feel informed, engaged, and confident in the board's work.
Question 5
Can you commit to removing any policies that require secrets to be kept from parents by policy, without an individual, exceptional circumstance being identified?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: Absolutely
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: Yes. Parents are the experts of their children.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: I support policies that prioritize student safety and well-being, and I believe that any decision to withhold information from parents must be based on individual circumstances—never as a blanket rule. Protecting vulnerable students is critical, but so is maintaining trust with families. I would support a review of any policy that mandates secrecy without consideration of context, ensuring that our approach is both compassionate and legally sound.
Question 6
Do you believe parents should be informed before abortion, sexual assault, marriage, or questions about deciding to have children are covered in school, in a way similar to the requirements around sexual identity or religious identity?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: I believe that parents should have information about everything going on in schools. It is paid for by tax payers. Nothing should be ‘secret’.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: Yes.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Parents are key partners in education, and communication is vital—especially when sensitive topics from the curriculum are addressed in schools. I support age-appropriate, curriculum-aligned instruction and believe that parents should be informed about the content of health and wellness education. At the same time, we must ensure that students have access to safe, inclusive spaces for learning and support, particularly when navigating complex or personal issues.
Question 7
Do you believe program and course development at the school board level must be transparent and focused on clearly defined knowledge outcomes?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: Yes.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: Yes. We need defined outcomes not the thoughts and ideology of the individual teaching.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Yes. Program and course development should be transparent and rooted in clearly defined learning outcomes that align with provincial curriculum and reflect the needs of our students. Transparency ensures accountability and allows parents and educators to work together to support student success.
Question 8
What are your thoughts on communicating progress clearly with letter grades and percentages, as opposed to "descriptive grading", at all grade levels?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: I think that vague descriptors do not help communicate students progress. This should be simplified and made clear for everyone.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: Parents need identifiable grades and percentages. How are parents to know how their child is doing without clear grading.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Clear communication of student progress is essential. I support assessment practices that are developmentally appropriate and provide meaningful feedback to students and families. For younger learners, descriptive feedback and outcome-based reporting offer a more accurate picture of growth. For older students, letter grades and percentages can be useful tools for tracking achievement and preparing for post-secondary pathways. The key is clarity, consistency, and alignment with best practices in learning.
Question 9
Professional development days for teachers and other school board staff are negotiated locally. Do you believe your school board currently has negotiated the right number of professional development days? If not, what changes would you like to advocate for?
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: Every day there is a PD day saves money in transportation costs and caretaking. It does not affect the number of hours students are in school as the length of day has been altered to accommodate them. I think there is some validity to those savings. There are, I believe, rules around adding PD days as it adds work time to teachers. I am open to listening to the community about the number of days.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: Sorry, I would need to look into this further.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: Professional development is vital to maintaining a high-quality education system. I believe Foothills has made thoughtful decisions around PD days, but I would support ongoing evaluation to ensure that these days are used effectively and meet the evolving needs of staff. PD should be focused, relevant, and aligned with division priorities—especially in areas like literacy, numeracy, inclusion, and trauma-informed practice.
Question 10
Do you support or oppose the impending teachers' strike? Please explain your reasoning.
Ward 1 (Foothills County, Diamond Valley, Longview)
1 To Be Elected
Shanon Hines: Classroom conditions have been deteriorating for years. This has been a long time coming. I think it’s unfortunate. But I hope it will be a catalyst for some much needed changes. My fear is that it will mostly be politics at the top with few real benefits for staff trying to make a difference on the ground.
Jack Molyneux: No response.
Ward 2 (Blackie, Cayley, DeWinton, Foothills County)
1 To Be Elected
Sherry Butler: This is a tough one....I actually do support the Teachers standing up and saying enough is enough. I don't support the idea that we just throw more money at it. Teachers have been asked to wear too many hats. Let Teachers teach!!! There are too many children in our classrooms now that have behavioural, emotional, academic, language, etc, issues. We can't keep doing the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome, no matter how much money we throw at the problem. We need to provide the assistance children need at the level they require it...this may mean having a classroom where there are more professionals to deal with their specific needs. Then a child may be able to get the specialized care they need to integrate back into a regular classroom. It's a much larger probem and asking Teachers to deal with it is wrong. We need to stand with the Teachers who have the courage to speak up about the complexities in the classroom so changes will be made.
John Evans: No response.
Ward 3 (Foothills County, Millarville, Red Deer Lake)
1 To Be Elected
Theresa Letendre: No response.
Ward 4 (Okotoks)
2 To Be Elected
Sharon Nichols: No response.
Lisa Penzo: No response.
Erin Punko: No response.
Ward 5 (High River)
1 To Be Elected
Jenn Murray: No response.
Jackie Roe: No response.
Fred Woods: I support teachers and recognize the critical role they play in shaping the future of our students. While strikes are never easy, they often reflect deeper systemic issues that need attention—such as workload, compensation, and classroom complexity. My hope is that all parties can come to the table in good faith to find solutions that honour the professionalism of educators and ensure stability for students and families.