Photo Courtesy Ray Buziak

By Tanner Smith

Grande Prairie Public Schools

GPPSD Trustee Election Candidate Profile: Ray Buziak

Oct 2, 2025 | 1:19 PM

Ray Buziak is one of 12 individuals running for seven Grande Prairie Public School Board Trustee vacancies.

He was asked to provide a candidate bio, or answer four questions in 600 words or less.

1. What has inspired you to run for mayor/council/school trustee in the Oct. 20, 2025, municipal election?

I have been around public education all my life and want to continue to contribute to it. My children went through the system and now my grandchildren are enjoying its benefits. We have a good school division but it has needs and challenges. I want to continue to help address these by speaking up for students, staff and families and for public education. I want to help manage the growth in the system (13.3% since 2021) and continue to support our staff so they can do their best work with students. I feel like the system is eroding and under threat of further erosion from underfunding. Education is a public good that everyone should have access to. Public education builds strong communities and strong democracies and should be fully supported. I will advocate for student supports and for a continuously improving public education system so my grandchildren and yours can continue to profit from the variety of programs and opportunities that public education has provided for decades. Elbows up for public education!

2. What skills or experience do you have that you feel would make you a good fit for the role?

I have 4 years experience as a trustee and over 42 years experience as a classroom teacher in the public system. I am aware of the range of needs that can exist in classrooms and the extensive need for resources to support those needs. As a trustee, we met several times over the last 4 years with both the Minister of Education and the local MLAs to talk about division needs. I have lobbied the board for the inclusion of class size guidelines in board policy, for a letter to be written to government advocating for the expansion of P.U.F. funding, for a total review of inclusion funding and for a by-election when a trustee passed away. I have lobbied against inclusion of political parties in municipal elections. I have served the board on committees such as Policy, Advocacy and Engagement and Non-Instructional Bargaining. I have been the board’s Alberta School Boards Association zone 1 rep for 3 years. Lobbying for support for our students and staff is the work of the board and I am anxious to continue this work.

Prior to my term as a trustee, I was a local teacher leader in the Alberta Teachers Association (ATA). I advocated for reduced class sizes and increased supports for inclusion. I represented teachers provincially at: The Minister’s Advisory Forum on Student Conduct and Violence in Schools (twice), The Excellence in Teaching Roundtables, and The Mental Health Review. I have also served on provincial ATA committees such as: Wellbeing of Children and Youth Committee, Pension Committee and Teacher Welfare Services Committee. I was chair of the local bargaining committee for 10 years and was appointed by the ATA as an economic consultant for NW Alberta. I served 6 bargaining units in this role and provided advice on matters related to collective agreements and to collective bargaining generally. My experience and knowledge of the system and previous advocacy work are an asset and allow me to provide input into the continuous improvement of our system and into addressing some of the challenges we face.

3. What do you feel are the key or main election issues in your community, and what are the issues of priority for you?

Chronic underfunding and subsequent erosion of the public system are a deep concern. The establishment, alongside public schools of charter schools with a focus that already exists in public schools is a needless duplication. Base grants haven’t increased in nearly 10 years as the division continues to grow at a rapid pace. Grande Prairie is expected to be the third fastest growing community in Alberta over the next decade or so. Increases to base grants have been replaced by short-term grants which, while important, do not support long term planning and make it difficult to support staff and prioritize student outcomes. It also makes recruitment and retention of staff more difficult. Labour disruptions are the end result of chronic underfunding and can be avoided with proper long term support.

4. Where can people learn more about you?

4. People can call, text (780-518-5998), email (ramad2@telus.net) or view my posts at “Re-elect Ray Buziak 4 Trustee 2025” .