With over a decade and a half on the Portage la Prairie School Division Board, Murray McLenehan will be stepping aside from his role as trustee at the end of the school year.

Murray McLenehan played the role of trustee for 15 and a half years and says that he worked with some incredible people.

"From custodians, to teachers, to administer and senior administration. I was very fortunate to have worked with so many good people."

McLenehan talks about his decision to leave the board and sail off into the sunset by noting that life gave him a tap on the shoulder, telling him it was his time.

"We looked at the house, and the old expression is 'do you own the house or does the House own you?' So, we decided we're both (him and his wife) at the age where we want to be near our grandkids and our family. So, we put the place up for sale, and we're a little bit surprised how quickly it went. But we're very fortunate that we were able to sell and move out to Lac du Bonnet where our cabin is."

Flipping the page and moving on to his next chapter, McLenehan shares that he will be spending a lot of his time with his grandkids and watching them play hockey.

McLenehan knows that were some highs and lows during his time on the board.

"I was very fortunate to come in with Larry Taylor as the superintendent, and then, of course, when Hazen Barrett stepped up, we had a smooth transition with him and Mr. Moss. Then these last five and a half years with Ms. Garnham and Mr. Cuddington, It's been quite impressive. Those two do an incredible job, and they've got an amazing team that works with them, and the things that they've had to deal with these last 64 months is beyond belief. I'm very proud that those two are the ones that, as a trustee, we have hired, and I truly consider us blessed that they were at the helm through the pandemic."

McLenehan compares his time as a trustee to the role of being a referee at a sporting event where you make sure the rules are followed and that everybody is in a safe, healthy environment.

During the last meeting, Rod Brownlee, chair of the school board, mentioned that Murray always made sure that all schools within the division had their voices heard throughout his time on the board, something McLenehan took great pride in doing.

In closing, McLenehan thanked everyone who helped him during his journey, especially educators.

"Our teachers put their whole heart and soul into making sure our kids succeed, and that's what the education system is all about: students, families, community, and our staff succeeding. I think we can be very proud of the fact that we accomplished that in my terms."