In your opinion what is the most critical issue facing the school board at this time and how do you plan on addressing it?
A. There are many critical issues facing the school board, but I believe they are symptomatic of the most crucial issue, the chronic under funding of the public school system in British Columbia. In the last decade, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the amount spent on educating our children and this is causing a ripple effect on the quality of education in our community.
In these challenging economic times, I understand that one of the most critical tasks of the school board is to find innovative, constructive ways to put forth a balanced budget. This has become an increasingly difficult during recent years of fiscal restraint and declining enrolment. I also believe it is the moral imperative of school board trustees to be outspoken advocates for adequate educational funding for the students and families who they represent and serve. I view the under funding of our public system as the key issue moving forward; including the cutting of programs designed to help some of our most at-risk students, decreased funding for educational assistants who help the growing number of students, and a reliance on the revenue generated from international students, often at the expense of our own local students.
This school district is ready for a board that is not prepared to rubber stamp budgets that seek to cut more from an already depleted system. Maintaining the status quo is simply not acceptable. If elected as trustee, I will be a strong advocate for all students and their specific needs. As a business woman with a background in finance, and as a mother with children currently enrolled in our public system, I believe that I possess both the expertise and conviction necessary to represent and serve the people of Comox as their trustee.