Whoever forms the next board of education in the Sooke school district will be part of a special time next September, when two new high schools open to replace Belmont Secondary.
“It certainly is one of the glamorous things that are going on,” said Dory Thout, president of the Sooke Parents’ Education Advisory Council.
The race for the board table has turned into quite a contest, with 18 candidates looking to fill seven seats. District superintendent Jim Cambridge said recent education issues and labour concerns seems to have played a role.
“I think that probably the fact that education’s been top-of-mind for the last year with the strike and things made a lot of people think about education, even outside of labour relations,” Cambridge said. “I think it’s just brought this sector a little bit to the forefront, and I think that that’s a pattern we’re seeing repeated around the province.”
Thuot had more of a general view of what has drawn people to come forward and run. “Because we’ve all faced some significant cuts in education and had deficits that were quite extraordinary, I’m wondering if that is part of it,” she said. “The dissatisfaction with education provincially speaking may contribute to more engagement at a municipal level.”
Four of the seven board members represent the Belmont zone, which encompasses Colwood, Langford, Highlands, part of View Royal and Metchosin. Three will represent the Milnes Landing zone, including Sooke, Port Renfrew and the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.
» READ MORE: Candidate profiles
District snapshot
- Operating budget: $82 million
- Students: 8,600
- Schools: 25 — 18 elementary, four middle, three secondary
- Teachers: 750
- Trustees: Seven
- Annual salary, board chair: $12,000
- Annual salary, vice-chairperson: $11,000
- Annual salary, trustees: $10,000
- District includes: Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, Sooke and Port Renfrew
