B.C. fires Victoria School Board over ban on police in schools
Education minister says student safety is at risk
British Columbia's education minister has fired the entire Victoria School Board in a dispute over a safety plan where the board barred police from schools except in emergencies.
Minister Lisa Beare says student safety is at risk in the district and she has appointed a lone trustee to oversee the district.
"Students are at the centre of every decision I make, and ultimately their safety in this school district is at risk. Our government has given this board multiple opportunities to act, and they have not delivered," Beare said in a release.
"The decision to remove an elected board is a difficult one, but it is necessary to bring our collective focus in School District 61 back to where it belongs — supporting students."
Former district superintendent and Camosun College president Sherri Bell has been appointed as the trustee to replace the board, effective immediately.
The province says she will remain in the role until the next scheduled board elections in fall 2026.
Months of controversy
The ministry's decision comes after months of controversy following the school board's decision to cancel the school police liaison officer (SPLO) program in May 2023.
At the time, the board said that its SPLO program did "not best meet the needs" of the 20,000 students it serves in the 28 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and seven secondary schools in Victoria, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, View Royal and a portion of Saanich.
The board cited reports that some students and teachers — particularly those who are Indigenous or people of colour — don't feel safe with officers in schools.
Victoria police, three area municipalities, and the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations have all vocally opposed the decision, citing concerns about gang violence, drugs and sextortion.
In September, former education minister Rachna Singh issued an administrative directive to School District 61 to develop a safety plan.
Beare says on Nov. 8, the ministry received a letter addressed to the board from four area police chiefs expressing their lack of support for the draft safety plan.
The board submitted a safety plan to the ministry for approval on Nov. 15, the minister said. But after asking a provincial team of school safety experts called the Safer Schools Together Program to conduct an independent review of the plan, Beare did not approve it.
The district's plan did support some high-risk vulnerable youth and staff training but didn't address the key aspects of a comprehensive safety plan, said Theresa Campbell, founder of Safer Schools Together.
"Proactive safety plans must include strong relationships and collaboration with law enforcement, First Nations and other community partners," Campbell said in a statement "There is also a need for more specificity regarding safety strategies, protocols and processes."
The Ministry of Education said some of the issues the safety plan was expected to address include increased gang activity and a commitment to improve the relationship between the school board and police.
Instead, in December Beare appointed special adviser Kevin Godden to "revise and improve" the plan that was submitted.
Godden is the former superintendent of the Abbotsford School District, with 36 years of public education experience.
At the time, the Greater Victoria School Board said it looked forward to working with Godden.
"The Board is deeply committed to the safety and well-being of all students and staff in the school district," the board said.
"We are dedicated to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments, and we embrace an ethic of continuous improvement."
WIth files from Maryse Zeidler and the Canadian Press