SD61 School Board Trustee Platform

Our Standard

We don't have low expectations of our students, so why should we tolerate low expectations from their schools?

We believe in public schools that work for every child.

We should not have to choose between Education Assistants and music programs. Between counsellors and sports. Between safe buildings and the programs that make school worth being in.

These are false choices. Our kids deserve all of them.

We will fight for the resources students and school communities actually need and judge the district by a simple standard:

Are students getting what they need? Are schools safe? Can every child participate? Do students have a voice? Are school workers treated fairly? Are public resources going where they are needed most?

A school district for all means safe schools, care for all, inclusion for all, community for all, and a voice for all.

Safe Schools For All

Every student deserves a safe, healthy place to learn.

We believe students learn best in an environment that supports their wellbeing and success. That means schools that are well maintained, prepared for a changing climate, connected by safe routes to school and equipped with the people and programs students rely on every day.

We will:

Make school buildings and outdoor spaces safer and better maintained.

Fight for the funding needed to maintain aging buildings, playgrounds, fields, gyms and other facilities. Safe, well-maintained schools are part of public education.

Equip schools with proper cooling and air filtration, and make climate safety a standard part of new construction and major renovations. Create clear district rules for wildfire smoke, extreme heat and other climate risks so students and staff know when schools need to change how they operate.

Invest in the supports students need to feel safe at school.

Prioritize counsellors, social workers, nurses, youth workers and other school-based professionals who build relationships with students and support their mental health, well-being and safety.

Recognize that police presence can affect students differently, particularly students who have experienced racism or discrimination. Any School Police Liaison Officer program should be evidence-based, accountable and responsive to student experience.

Make transit free for all students

Work with BC Transit and local governments to expand free youth transit so every student in SD61 can get to school, activities, work and their community without cost being a barrier. Expand walking school bus programs, advocate for better bus routes and free student bus passes and support other ways for students to get to school safely and reliably.

Put student learning and development first in the age of AI.

Restrict access to AI chatbots for elementary and middle school students, and provide high school students with practical education on AI, digital literacy, critical thinking and online safety.

Care For All

Students learn best when their needs are met.

We'll fight for more counsellors, nurses, Education Assistants, meal programs and other supports so every student can get the help they need when they need it.

We will:

Put frontline services before unnecessary administration

Make sure district resources are directed first toward the people students see every day: teachers, Education Assistants, counsellors, nurses, support workers, custodians, trades staff, and other school workers.

Expand health and social services in schools

Work with Island Health and community partners to bring more nurses, counsellors, psychologists, settlement workers, and other care services into schools.

Rebuild school nursing as a core part of public education

Fight for more school nurses and for care that is trauma-informed, affirming, respectful and safe for young people.

Make sure students can learn without being hungry

Expand school meal programs so students can access healthy food without stigma or cost being a barrier.

Take a health-first approach to substance use

Support harm reduction, first aid training and access to naloxone in schools. When students are struggling with substance use our first response should be health, not punishment.

Support students through difficult times

Strengthen counselling and other mental health services and make sure students and families can find help before a crisis becomes an emergency.

Stand with school workers

Support fair collective bargaining and the right of district workers to organize for better wages, working conditions, and services for students.

Fight for classrooms where students can learn and teachers can teach

Advocate for adequate staffing, smaller and more manageable class sizes, and the resources teachers need to support every student.

Inclusion For All

Every child deserves to feel safe, respected and supported at school.

We believe strong public education means meeting students' individual needs, honouring Indigenous perspectives and histories, and creating learning environments where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

We will:

Increase Education Assistant support

Fight for more EAs and better staffing so students with disabilities, learning differences and additional needs get the support they need to participate fully in school.

Make inclusion a standard, not an exception

Build schools where students with disabilities, neurodivergent students and students with different ways of learning are welcomed, supported and able to participate in school life.

Protect SOGI-inclusive schools

Keep schools safe for 2SLGBTQIA+ students and families and maintain policies, education and staff support that help prevent discrimination and bullying.

Support Indigenous students and Indigenous education

Work with local Nations, Elders, families and educators to strengthen Indigenous education and support Indigenous students, including when students need time and space for ceremony and cultural responsibilities.

Build stronger relationships with local Nations

Work directly with Songhees and Esquimalt Nations on education, student support, land, culture, transportation and community programs. Reconciliation should be part of how the district operates, not a statement we make once a year.

Expand language learning

Maintain and expand language programs based on community needs, including programs that help newcomer students and families participate fully in school life.

Make schools safer for students who face racism and discrimination

Support school-based work to understand who is being left behind and why, and use that knowledge to improve services, teaching and student support.

Community For All

Schools are more than just classrooms.

They are part of the communities they serve. We believe school spaces and programs should bring people together and create opportunities to belong.

We will:

Protect music, arts, sports and other student programs

Students deserve more than the basics. Protect access to music, arts, athletics, clubs and other programs that help young people discover what they love and build a sense of belonging.

Make sure no child is priced out of belonging

Work to reduce fees and other costs that keep students from taking part in school activities, sports, music, arts and community programs.

Treat schools as public spaces

Treat school buildings as public assets and expand responsible community use of libraries, gyms, fields, classrooms and other spaces outside school hours.

Build stronger partnerships between schools and public libraries

Work with the Greater Victoria Public Library to explore shared library programs, after-hours access, workshops, continuing education and other ways to connect schools with the wider community.

Connect generations through our schools

Explore partnerships with seniors' centres and community groups to create intergenerational programs, including before- and after-school activities where appropriate.

Build and protect affordable housing on public land

Explore suitable SD61 land for affordable rental housing for school workers and others, working with the CRD, BC Housing and local partners to keep homes affordable over the long term.

Make before- and after-school care easier to access.

Work with the province, municipalities and community partners to expand affordable childcare connected to schools.

A Voice For All

Students, families and school workers deserve a real say in the decisions that affect them.

We believe public education works best when decisions are open, accountable and students have real input on the issues that affect their day-to-day lives.

We will:

Give students a real voice in their schools

Create meaningful ways for students to help shape decisions that affect their education, school life, safety and well-being.

Support independent student organizations

Give student unions and other student groups a stronger role in school and district decision-making, while protecting their independence from school administration.

Root decision-making in transparency

Improve public access to information about budgets, staffing, major decisions and district priorities. Families and school workers should not have to dig through layers of administration to understand how their schools are being run.

Prioritize public education

Oppose the use of public education funding to subsidize private schools and advocate to the provincial government for a stronger public school system.

Fight for fair funding for every student

Aggressively advocate for increased provincial funding per student so school districts can properly fund staff, programs, buildings, transportation and student support.

Put service delivery ahead of unnecessary management growth

Review district administration and look for ways to move resources from unnecessary layers of management into classrooms and frontline services.

Make the Board accountable to the public

Trustees are elected to represent students, families, school workers and the wider community. We will be clear about how we vote, what we support and what we are asking the province to do.

Defend strong public schools against austerity

Work with other trustees, school boards, education workers, families, and community organizations to push back when governments respond to pressure by cutting public services.

What We Will Fight For

Not every decision affecting students is made by the school board.

The province controls major parts of education funding, independent school funding, public health, and broader drug and transit policy. That does not mean trustees should stay silent.

We will use our position to fight for the resources our schools need.

We will press the provincial government for:

• Higher funding per student

• More Education Assistants and frontline school staff

• Stable funding for school meal programs

• More school nurses and school-based health services

• Stronger climate funding for cooling, air filtration, and building upgrades

• Free transit for all students

• More affordable housing for school workers

• An end to public subsidies for private schools

• Stronger Indigenous education and support for First Nations students

• Better funding for public childcare and before- and after-school care

• A broader public response to youth substance use based on health, harm reduction, and care