The North Okanagan-Shuswap School District is in chaos.
In an unprecedented move, trustees Jennifer Wilchuk and Barry Chafe have submitted their letters of resignation, with two years still left to their terms.
“It is my opinion that the process of effective governance within our board of education has collapsed and I am not optimistic for its restoration.” wrote Wilchuk, trustee for Sorrento-Carlin.
Chafe, the Sicamous trustee, says he is stepping down because of stress.
“It has become evident that my vision and view for the direction of the board has not been consistent with a majority of my fellow trustees,” he said.
These are harsh words for a system students, parents, educators, support staff and the community depend on.
And the resignations come as the district is still reeling from public backlash over proposed school closures and growing controversy over moving millions of dollars from the operational budget into the capital fund.
The concern is these controversies will distract district officials from ensuring that day-to-day operations continue in the classroom, and tough decisions, such as budget shortfalls, are made.
While it’s not an ideal situation, the Ministry of Education needs to get directly involved and determine what is happening behind the scenes at the board office to ensure the public interest is still the priority.
