Education Minister Lisa Beare has announced that she has dismissed the Greater Victoria School District board and appointed a temporary trustee to take over the district's government until a trustee election.
"It's not a decision I make lightly," said Beare when she made the announcement on Thursday, Jan. 30.
Sherri Bell, the former president of Camosun College and superintendent of schools with School District 61, has been appointed as an official trustee to replace the board, which takes effect immediately and is expected to continue until the next scheduled elections in fall 2026.
"Our government has provided the board with multiple opportunities to meet the needs of the community and this board has not delivered," said Beare. "It has become clear to me that the board has lost the trust of many to govern in the public interest. The board has failed to work together with local First Nations, police, and other key stakeholders to prioritize student safety."
The board removed school police liaison officers (SPLO) from schools in 2023, resulting in parent-led protests, criticism from local First Nations and politicians, and concerns from local police regarding an uptick in gang activity in south Island schools.
In September, the ministry ordered the board to create a safety plan in collaboration with regional policing partners, and in December, Beare appointed a special advisor to the board to help them develop a safety plan.
On Jan. 6, the deadline for the safety plan, the board put forward three draft plans, one of which was drafted with the help of the advisor, and the other two were crafted by the board.
Kevin Godden, the special adviser, was reappointed to work with the official trustee to collaborate with community partners to finalize the safety and implementation plans for the school district.
"This distraction has gone on long enough. I am stepping in to get this district back on track and recenter everyone's focus on the need of students, where it should be," she said.
The board decided to cancel the program following a recommendation from the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender, who based her judgment on a number of studies and surveys from both Canada and the U.S. that found school officers made marginalized students feel less safe.
The last time a school board has been removed in B.C. was the Vancouver School Board in 2016 for failing to adopt a balanced budget.
Chief Const. Dean Dutie of the Saanich Police Department said he respects the minister's decision to remove the board.
"I see this opening the doors to more fluid conversations and really with a solutions-focused lens for actual progress to be made," said Duthie.
He added he hopes to see key changes identified "to ensure that the school environment is a safe place for everybody who experiences that and for us to be a part of that solution."
Saanich police already have a presence within SD63 with the community engagement division, and they are ready to work with Bell, Godden and the ministry to develop a sound safety plan, which he says is a "very important direction forward for all of us."
