Shuswap’s MLA is not impressed with the growing controversy within the North Okanagan-Shuswap School District.
Three trustees have resigned and the district is under fire for transferring $10.5 million in operational surpluses to capital funding over the past five years, including funds for a new administration office.
“It’s pretty obvious the general public is concerned about the lack of disclosure about what the school district was doing with surpluses,” said Greg Kyllo, MLA.
Kyllo says there wasn’t necessarily anything wrong with redirecting funds towards capital as long as the public was aware of the situation.
“It’s pretty definite that there’s an obvious concern.”
He also questions internal communication within the school board office if the superintendent and trustees are saying they were not fully aware of the transfers.
However, when was asked he is continues to have confidence in the school board, Kyllo said, “The school board is duly elected and it’s not for me to weigh in on that but the public needs to feel its voice is being heard.”
Trustees have asked the Ministry of Education to appoint a special advisor to review the district’s governance practices.
Kyllo supports the move.
“With the concerns of local residents, they need to undertake some form of accountability review,” he said.
Education Minister Mike Bernier says he’s aware that parents are upset with the district.
“My ministry is working with the district on their request for the appointment of a special advisor in School District 83,” he states.
“I am committed to working together with the district to address the concerns of parents and determine the best path forward.”
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Falkland trustee Debbie Evans wrote: “My hope is ministry steps in and fires the rest of us and appoints a ministry trustee to run the district until the next general election in 2018.”
But when contacted Thursday, Evans said that was not her true intention and her comments required further context.
“I shouldn’t have done it,” she said of the post. “It was late and I was frustrated that people do not understand what could happen if the ministry does step in.”
Evans went on to reference a situation in the Cowichan school district where the board presented a deficit budget and was replaced with a Ministry of Education administrator.
“The point I was trying to make was that if the ministry were to do that, it would eliminate public consultation. Then people wouldn’t be happy either.”
Evans says she has no plans to resign.
— with files from Tracy Hughes, Salmon Arm Observer