The nomination period to run in the Chilliwack school trustee byelection opened today (Dec. 29), and so far just two candidates have made their intentions known.
The byelection is on Feb. 13 and will fill the seat left vacant when Dan Coulter was elected as the Chilliwack MLA in October.
Anyone wishing to run as a candidate needs to file their paperwork with the Chief Election Officer by Jan. 8 at 4 p.m.
The Chilliwack School District has created a list of reference materials for interested parties, available on their website at sd33.bc.ca. That includes a link to the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) website, which provides a variety of resources including a guide for trustee candidates.
They also created a flyer called “Become a School Trustee.” That flyer lists important documents that relate to the work of the board, including the district’s strategic plan, the 2019-20 Financial Statement Discussion and Analysis Paper, and their policy manual, among other items.
The website also has links to years of board meeting minutes, agendas, and more recently, links to videos of the meetings themselves.
The district’s flyer says that “boards of education are elected to improve student achievement.”
They encourage those interested in becoming a trustee to learn about the community’s needs.
“School trustees listen to their communities, guide the work of their school district, setting a plan, policy and the annual budget – and report back to the public on how our students are doing,” it reads.
“There is much you can do to learn more about your local school district. Whether you’re running as a trustee for the first time or have served the community in the past, it’s a good idea to review the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) website to get the background on a range of education issues.”
To date, Carin Bondar and Adam Suleman have announced their intentions to run as candidates.
Candidates must be at least 18, Canadian citizens, residents of B.C. for at least six months, and not disqualified from holding office.
The byelection is organized for the district by the City of Chilliwack. For more information, including nomination documents, visit www.chilliwack.com/elections. If you have questions regarding the election process, call the City of Chilliwack at 604-793-2986.
There will be three advance voting days. The first is on Feb. 3 at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The second is on Feb. 10 at Heritage Park from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and then Feb. 11 at Heritage Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
General voting will be held on Feb. 13 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre and Heritage Park.
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