By JENNIFER LANG -DO TRUSTEES speak for ‘themselves when they speak lo reporters? - Or should: the Coast -. Mountains school board ' appoint an official spokes- man? -. Trustees moved a wide- ranging discussion on who ‘should speak on behalf of “. the: board. behind clased “. . doors last week, “newly elected Thornhill trustee Lorrie Gowen sug- gested the board appoint ‘an Official spokesman. Gowen. pointed to the fact that Terrace trustee Hal Stedham had made a ‘recent appearance on a + local radio. talk show. “---"-She said one trustee should be appointed as an official spokesperson who _ shares the views of the board as a whole, ‘But when Kitimat ‘. trustee Barry Pankhurst ‘made a motion to appoint board chair Peter King as the spokesman, the motion died on the floor without a seconder. ° ©” Pankhurst said while in- dividual ‘trustees don’t al- ways share the same views, it's common prac- tice in school. districts across B.C. to have the chair speak on behalf of the board. “This is quite restric- tive,” said King, who’ said the chair normally acts as the board’s official spokes- man on issues like labour "negotiations, -. “Other than. that, trustees are free to talk. to the: media,” King said. “If “you.-set up a spokesman,. then’ other trustees can’t speak out.” “The board chair has acted as the main spokes- person in other circum- stances, too. Last spring, .. ‘then-board. chair Linda Campbell was the main ‘media contact on the con- opt... schools, | a4 “pee Gowen, meanwhile, ~~ sounded surprised to: learn the board doesn’t formally ‘appoint an official Getting out ~ school news CHECK THOSE back- packs. Students will soon be coming home with a school board newsletter. ~. They're are going. to be edited by Thornhill trustee Lorrie Gowen at no cost the board, _.< Gowen, a Thornhill - trustee, wants to give par- ‘ents a way to find out what _ decisions: the school board has -made. A synopsis of board de- cisions is already distribu- ted to Parent Advisory Councils after the meet- ‘ings, but Gowen said the information doesn’t always filter down. to other par- ents, “The first edition should .. the district. - ‘ment to drop by 350 stu- dents next year, an esti- _- thate Gowen fears could "be too high, That could mean trustees, faced with deficit. will have to cut more than they actually --Meed-to-to balance the budget. ~ After each issue has been approved by trustees, the ‘newsletter will be sent to. school principals, who ~ will then decide how best to distribute them. : It. looks like : schools ‘will. be expected to pick up photocopying costs, but