Winnipeg Votes 2026, Jerry Sodomlak, Trustee Candidate, River East Transcona School Division, Ward 1

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What happens when a growing community outpaces the schools designed to serve it?

On this episode of Winnipeg Votes 2026, host Graham McDonald sits down with Jerry Sodomlak, candidate for School Trustee in Ward 1 of the River East Transcona School Division.

A retired teacher, principal, former board chair, and longtime trustee, Sodomlak brings decades of experience in education to a conversation focused on some of the biggest challenges facing local schools today.

From overcrowded classrooms and rapid enrolment growth to education funding, property taxes, student supports, newcomer services, artificial intelligence in classrooms, and the future of school governance, this interview explores the issues affecting students, parents, and taxpayers across Winnipeg.

Sodomlak argues that growth is both an opportunity and a challenge.

"Growth you'd assume would be a positive thing, and it is. But when you're getting five, six, seven hundred new students per year, that now imparts quite a demand on the system."

He also discusses why he believes school divisions need stronger advocacy with the province and why supporting students with diverse learning needs remains a top priority.

00:00 The School Space Crisis Nobody Saw Coming
01:15 Why Jerry Sodomlak Is Running Again After Leaving Manitoba
03:25 700 New Students Every Year: Can Schools Keep Up?
04:24 Inflation vs Education Funding: The Growing Gap
05:42 Will A New 800-Student School Solve The Problem?
07:40 Why Property Taxes Keep Rising Across The Community
09:33 The Education Funding Review That Never Happened
14:38 Supporting Newcomer Families And English Language Learners
18:56 AI In Classrooms: Opportunity Or Risk?
25:30 The One Change That Could Transform Student Support

Watch the full conversation to hear directly from the candidate before the October 28 municipal election.

Disclaimer: As part of U Multicultural’s 2026 Winnipeg Municipal Election Coverage, candidates were invited to share messages with our audience. The views expressed in this article are the candidate’s own, and this article does not constitute an endorsement by U Multicultural.