By mid-October, Vancouver will once again have an elected school board.
Education Minister Rob Fleming has called a byelection for the Vancouver School Board (VSB) to be held on October 14.
“I think it’s important that the Vancouver School Board and Vancouver residents have a democratic board. They need accountability in a year’s time they need accountability now for key decisions that they are going to make that are in the interest of kids,” Fleming said.
That election will occur in conjunction with a byelection to replace Vancouver Councillor Geoff Meggs, who resigned to become chief of staff to Premier John Horgan.
Fleming said the decision to hold the elections together is financially prudent.
“It will save money for Vancouver residents. By doing this in conjunction with a Vancouver City Council byelection, which was previously announced, the city of Vancouver will be able to save the district about $1.5 million in election costs.”
WATCH: Vancouver School Board fired
The VSB has been under the administration of a single, provincially appointed trustee since last October, when the board was fired by the BC Liberals’ then-Education Minister Mike Bernier.
That trustee, Diane Turner, has been asked by the government to stay on in an advisory role “to help the newly elected board get up to speed.”
In a statement, the BC School Trustees Association applauded the move, calling on the province to also call a byelection for a school board that was also fired in B.C.’s interior last year.
We are encouraged that the government has taken this step to restore a democratically elected board to the residents of Vancouver, but are puzzled as to why the residents of the North Okanagan Shuswap School District are not being provided the same opportunity.
The board was fired about four months after refusing to pass a balanced 2016/2017 operating budget that would have contained about $22 million in cuts to programs and positions.
It also followed the refusal by the board to proceed with a process for closing 11 schools, and complaints of bullying and harassment by senior staff — six of whom went on medical leave.
Two WorkSafeBC reports later confirmed a “toxic” work environment at the board.
Patti Bacchus was part of the old VSB, but says she hasn’t yet made up her mind to either run for Vancouver City Council, the school board, or neither.
“We were dismissed back in October and I’ve taken up some other projects. I need to decide if I can continue them or set them aside.”
She does, however, have a problem with Liberal-appointed trustee Dianne Turner staying on as advisor.
“I’m surprised that the new minister of education would think it’s worthwhile to keep her on,” Says Bacchus.
“She’s been a controversial figure for many, so there are concerns certainly that I hear from staff at the school board about having her there and the divisions that that’s created.”
Bacchus says she’ll make a decision on her political future by the end of the summer.
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