Advocating for a provincial funding review, as well as helping first-time trustees find their feet, will be some of the main tasks facing the Delta school board, now that its members have been officially sworn in.
Ten-year veteran trustee Laura Dixon, who was re-elected chair during the new board’s inaugural meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 6, said the incoming board would need to work closely with education partners and other levels of government in the months ahead.
“Some of the tasks facing this board in the coming months include continuing our advocacy on the funding formula review process to ensure that our next budget is supported with stable, predictable and sufficient funding,” Dixon said.
The funding formula review had been a topic of concern for the previous board, as the provincial government is re-examining how it distributes funds to school districts.
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“We will continue to build strong working relationships with all of our education partners and the other three levels of government,” Dixon added.
In addition to the oath of office ceremony, trustees also elected representatives to different committees.
Trustee Bruce Reid, who was elected to a second term on the board last month, was chosen as school board vice-chair.
Previous vice-chair Val Windsor, now in her third term of office, was elected as the representative to the provincial council of the British Columbia School Trustees’ Association. Newcomer Daniel Boisvert, who ran with mayor George Harvie’s Achieving for Delta slate, was elected as her alternate to the council.
Nick Kanakos, who is also in his third term on the board, was elected as its representative to the BC Public School Employers’ Association and also the Provincial Bargaining Council. Reid was chosen as his alternate.
First-time trustees Erica Beard and Jessie Dosanjh, who both ran under the Achieving for Delta banner, were not elected to representative positions, but still made their first appearance at the board meeting.
The next school board meeting will be held on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at 4585 Harvest Dr. in Ladner.
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