How To Vote
Visit the Westwind school district's website here to find your voting times and locations.
Election Survey
| Ward | Candidate Name | Responded |
|---|---|---|
| Ward 1 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt) | Doug Smith | ❌ |
| Ward 2 (Cardston & Area) | Darren Atwood | ❌ |
| Delbert Beazer | ✅ | |
| Ken McMurray | ❌ | |
| Jamie Quinton | ❌ | |
| Brett Ryder | ❌ | |
| Rick Schow | ❌ | |
| Tami Tolley | ❌ | |
| Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita) | Jessica Payne | ❌ |
| Ward 4 (Magrath) | Ross Blackmer | ❌ |
| Ward 5 (Raymond) | Tobi Lyons | ✅ |
| Jim Ralph | ❌ | |
| Rod Wendorff | ❌ | |
| Ward 6 (Stirling) | Josh Smith | ❌ |
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: Yes I believe for the most part Westwind has done a good job.
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: Yes, I do! Westwind strives for excellence. Based upon our historic AERR we prioritize funds in classroom instruction and strongly focus on literacy and numeracy. Can more be done? Always.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: Yes
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: I believe funding that follows the student to the education parents choose enhances accountability in public education by empowering local decision-making and boosting parent engagement, ultimately driving student success. A stable foundational funding system remains essential to support this approach.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: I would like to see more local decisions
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: Local decision makers -absolutely! Community boards know their stakeholders needs best.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
Question 4
Do you believe your school board is currently transparent enough with parents and taxpayers? What would you change?
Ward 1 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: For the most part, better transparency is always best answer
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: I believe Westwind School Division has made significant strides in transparency, improving communication and access to information for parents and taxpayers. However, to enhance engagement, I would advocate for more public meetings, stronger involvement through school councils, and a dedicated symposium for parents of children with special needs.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: Parents should always be involved first and foremost
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: Yes!
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: yes
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: Yes. If these are subjects being discussed formally, proactive notification should be the requirement. Its impossible to plan for spontaneous conversations though, students should be able to go to a trusted teacher for a listening ear.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: yes
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: Yes.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: I am old school and A-F meant something to me and my parents! inclusive participation grading does not help students excel.
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: I favor letter grades and percentages over descriptive grading at all levels, as they’re clearer for parents and align with Alberta’s standards. Studies show descriptive terms confuse the majority of parents, while almost all understand letter grades. Using percentages and letter grades provides clear, transparent communication of student progress, empowering parents and aligning with Westwind’s focus on academic accountability.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
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 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: I believe PD days are good if mandatory attendance required, seems like to many are placed on calendar in conjunction with long weekends.
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: "Westwind's PD days are appropriately negotiated per standards, but I'd follow ATA Local 12's lead to cut excess non-instructional hours, prioritizing instructional time while honoring local teacher expertise with more training or combined PD with parents to proactively support student success. PD for PDs sake is wasting resources."
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.
Question 10
Do you support or oppose the impending teachers' strike? Please explain your reasoning.
Ward 1 (Mountain View, Hillspring, Glenwood, Leavitt)
1 To Be Elected
Doug Smith: No response.
Ward 2 (Cardston & Area)
2 To Be Elected
Darren Atwood: No response.
Delbert Beazer: I support teachers right to be heard, I believe ATA is too political, and that tends to lead to disassociation between teachers, parents, and students.
Ken McMurray: No response.
Jamie Quinton: No response.
Brett Ryder: No response.
Rick Schow: No response.
Tami Tolley: No response.
Ward 3 (Welling/Del Bonita)
1 To Be Elected
Jessica Payne: No response.
Ward 4 (Magrath)
1 To Be Elected
Ross Blackmer: No response.
Ward 5 (Raymond)
2 To Be Elected
Tobi Lyons: As a trustee candidate, I respect the TEBA-led bargaining process where trustees uphold a fiduciary duty to avoid interference, while hoping for a swift, fair resolution for Westwind's educators, students, and families. Ultimately, parents want their children educated, and I believe everyone seeks a return to the classroom or wherever learning occurs.
Jim Ralph: No response.
Rod Wendorff: No response.
Ward 6 (Stirling)
1 To Be Elected
Josh Smith: No response.