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SD#62 trustee candidate Janet Evans speak to issues

All six of those running for position of school trustee in Milne's Landing spoke to the Sooke News Mirror.
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Janet Evans

Each of the candidates running for school trustee were asked: “What in your opinion, are the  two most pressing issues facing the  School District and how would you like to see them dealt with?”

 

Janet Evans

I know the new trustees will face many challenges, but I believe the most pressing is the fact that SD#62 is the fastest growing on the Island and the new school board will be challenged with finding student placement for an additional 300 students a year for the next 12 years.  With over 9,500 student population and 25 schools in the district, the biggest challenge for the next board will be finding funding to deal with the shortfall in infrastructure.  Capital plans for two new schools in Langford and Colwood must continue to be a priority; and more land is needed for Edward Milne Community School for additional classrooms.  The challenge for the new board is to provide adequate learning spaces for all students while operating a very complex fixed budget.

The current board has implemented a document called, Challenges of a Developing District – Learning Spaces 2013. This document will guide the new board on when and how the recommendations can be implemented. The board has made a strong commitment to the middle school configuration which enables students to grow and develop at their own pace and I support that decision.  However, I do not support the standardization testing of students’ province-wide. Students are individuals and they learn differently, I believe the Foundation Skills Assessment scores are a better way of measuring student achievement.