The Nanaimo school district business committee voted overwhelmingly against reducing the board to seven trustees.
The board received a report in April, which said reducing from the current nine trustees to seven would net the school district a savings of $46,600 a year and it approved public consultation in May, but ultimately the committee decided this month to leave board numbers as is.
Trustee Jeff Solomon spoke in favour of reducing. While public consultation numbers weren’t “dramatic,” 62 per cent did say they wanted reduction, said Solomon. He also pointed to similar-sized districts.
“I know that this district would not fall apart and would not lose the ability to service our area and I know that for a fact … Kamloops-Thompson is the only comparative district, in terms of numbers that we have, that has nine. We have Prince George that has seven, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, these are all comparative districts in terms of enrolment, they have seven.”
Trustee Tania Brzovic worried about the effect of a smaller board with voting on important matters.
“A quorum on a seven-trustee board is four people,” said Brzovic. “You could have a night where you’re voting on a budget, where because of car failures or life, or whatever … you would end up with, possibly three people, voting in favour of say, passing a budget, one person voting against it and you’ve made a decision about a $140-million budget with essentially three people passing that.”
Charlene McKay, district parent advisory council president, and Rob Zver, education support workers’ union president, also spoke in favour of keeping the board at nine trustees.
Brzovic, along with Scott Kimler, Bill Robinson, Jamie Brennan, Noah Routley and Steve Rae voted against, while Solomon was the lone trustee voting for. Trustees Natasha Bob and Stephanie Higginson were absent.
reporter@nanaimobulletin.com
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