Complex sentence: He also played a vital role in the development of the school system in Edmonton, serving on the public school board until 1897, and in 1881, providing funds for the first school teacher in the city.
Split into simpler sentences: He also played a vital role in the development of the school system in Edmonton, involving himself in affairs as early as 1881, and serving on the public school board in the 1880s until 1897. In 1881, he a part of a group that provided funds for the first school teacher in the city.