Cathy Schmidt, who opted not to run again, has been replaced by Johanne Kemmler on the Cowichan Valley School District’s board of directors but aside from that, the names are all the same following the recent civic elections.
Trustees Elizabeth Croft, Rob Hutchins, Randy Doman, and Joe Thorne were all sworn in on Nov. 6 along with Candace Spilsbury, who has been reinstalled as the board chair, and Barb de Groot, who remains vice-chair.
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The board has seen many successes over the past four years, including an increase in enrollment from 7,408 students to 8,077, and five-year completion rates up to 84 per cent from 79.
The board’s budget is up to $100 million from $84 million and the school district is now the largest employer in the community, with more than 1,400 employees.
“There is still a lot of work to be done to support our education system and to support the success of every student in every classroom in every school. This board is capable of respectfully debating, problem-solving and finding the best solutions,” Spilsbury said.
Among the work left to be done is to continue to advocate for a new secondary school and to develop a plan to address the predicted increase in enrollment. The board also hopes to develop effective working relationships and partnerships with the area’s First Nations and to bolster early learning programs.
Board meetings are open to the public. The next meeting is Dec. 4. For those unable to attend, the meetings can be watched on the Cowichan Valley School District Board of Education’s District News page on their website or on their YouTube channel.
