School district elections remain, despite acclamations in RDN and Islands Trust
Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools District Administration Centre. (Photo by Jesse Woodward / CHLY 101.7FM)
Several electoral areas for the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), and Islands Trust are uncontested this election season, but voters in areas A, B, G and H can still impact the race for their local school boards.
Jacquie Hill is the RDN’s Chief Election Officer. She explained acclamation, which happens when local elections go uncontested.
“If there is one candidate for an electoral area where there is only one office to be elected, that candidate would be elected by acclamation. We have made the declaration of acclamation.”
Uncontested elections will result in four incumbent directors in the Regional District of Nanaimo returning to their seats without a vote. In the Islands Trust, the two local trustee seats of the Gabriola Island Trust Area are also uncontested. How will this impact local elections? Hill explains further, using Area B, which includes Gabriola, DeCoursey, and Mudge Islands as an example.
“So, in Area B, where electors may find on the ballot an election for an electoral area director, an election for their school district trustees, and an election for the Gabriola Island Local Trust area, there will just be the one election this year in that area, as the electoral area director and the local trustee for the Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee were acclaimed.”
Despite two local government decisions being off the ballot in Area B, there will still be a vote held for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District (SD-68). Electoral Area A, which includes Cedar, South Wellington, Yellowpoint and Cassidy will also see a vote held for SD-68.
Mark Walsh is Secretary Treasurer for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District, and its Chief Electoral Officer. He explained the School District trustee’s major responsibilities.
“School trustees ultimately govern … the entire school district. One of their main responsibilities is to … hire and have oversight of the superintendent of schools, who … does the administration, actually runs the district on a day-to-day basis and leads it from an education perspective. They are also responsible for passing a budget of about $230 million, depending on the year.”
Residents with children aren’t the only people impacted by school boards. Walsh explained why the general public must also take into account the importance of the school district's elections.
“Public education is one of the most important institutions that we have in society, and the school trustees are the ones that, working of course within the framework of the Ministry of Education and Childcare out of Victoria, … set the goals for this district,” said Walsh. “I think everyone has an interest in … positive, educated, compassionate … student student outcomes, as well as our society in general, and so our students are going to be the ones that are going to university, going to college, going to you know going out in trades, going to do the work and support the next generation for years to come. So it's pretty fundamental.”
For RDN residents, school board elections are still important to participate in, even if your electoral area is uncontested. According to the RDN, the offices and questions on a voter’s ballot will depend on where they live or own property. Areas A and B will include an at-large ballot for Nanaimo-Ladysmith School District , while Areas G and H will include a localized ballot for the Qualicum School District.
In Nanaimo-Ladysmith’s school district there are 11 candidates on the ballot for nine spots. Seven of the 11 candidates are incumbents. Voter turnout declined in 2022 from 2018.
Additionally, Beban park will host a future Nanaimo Ladysmith school board trustee election forum, this upcoming October 8th.
Advance voting days will take place October 7th and 14th. General Voting Day is October 17th.
Further and future local election coverage can be found at www.chly.ca/news
Funding Note: This story was produced with funding support from the Local Journalism Initiative, administered by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.
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