B.C. minister wants new safety plan for Victoria schools, threatens board removal

VICTORIA — Greater Victoria’s public schools should have a district-wide safety plan in place by the time classes resume in January or School District 61’s board of education could be replaced, says Education Minister Lisa Beare, in a showdown over the presence of police on campuses.

“It is evident there is a breakdown in relationships and communication between the board and community agencies and rights holders,” Beare said at a news conference on Friday.

“And that is why I am taking immediate action to ensure that by the time students return to school in the new year, a safety plan will be in place.”

Beare announced the appointment of special adviser Kevin Godden to assist the board to “revise and improve” a safety plan after it barred police from schools except in emergencies.

Godden is a former Abbotsford school superintendent with 36 years of public school experience.

Police haven’t been permitted at district schools except in special circumstances since last year, and the board said it based that decision on reports that some students and teachers — particularly those who are Indigenous or people of colour — don’t feel safe with officers in schools.

The Greater Victoria district website says there are 20,000 students in 28 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and seven secondary schools across the district, which comprises the communities of Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Victoria, View Royal and parts of Saanich and Highlands.

“If the board fails to deliver an appropriate revised safety plan that I can approve, or if the board does not co-operate with the special adviser, I am willing to take any step necessary to ensure the safety of students and staff by considering all options available to me under the School Act,” Beare said.

In a written response, School District 61 says board members “look forward to the opportunity” to work with the special adviser on the safety plan, adding that it will ask all parties involved to work “during the holiday season” given the “extremely short time frame.”

“This is clearly a high priority for the School District and the Board and we will report back again in early January as required by the Ministerial Order,” the statement said.

Victoria police Chief Del Manak has repeatedly criticized the board’s decision, citing concerns that include increased gang activity in schools.

Ongoing public objections by youth counsellors and area First Nations to the removal of police from schools prompted the Education Ministry to order the board to come up with a new safety plan earlier this year.

Manak said Friday that having police officers in schools can be a resource for teachers and a deterrent to gang recruitment and other potentially harmful activities.

“Although I’ve been vocal in my belief that police should be in schools as part of the learning community, the key part here is to build relationships and to prevent the rise of concerning behaviour that we’ve seen,” Manak said at a news conference at department headquarters.

“We would be naive if we thought that some of the challenges that we see in our community around violence, perceptions of violence, threats, intimidation, and sexual violence are not replicated within our school system,” he said.

Manak said he supported the appointment of the special adviser and is looking forward to participating in a collaborative process to develop a school safety plan.

“I’m committed to the process the minister set out,” said Manak. “To me, this is what leadership looks like when you have an impasse.”

Beare said a safety plan submitted earlier by the school board was not approved after an independent review that involved discussions with First Nations, local police chiefs, the school district parent advisory council and the board’s trustees.

The district’s plan did support some high-risk vulnerable youth and staff training, but didn’t address the key aspects of a comprehensive safety plan, said Theresa Campbell, founder of Safer School Together, a provincial team of school safety specialists.

“Proactive safety plans must include strong relationships and collaboration with law enforcement, First Nations and other community partners,” Campbell said in a statement “There is also a need for more specificity regarding safety strategies, protocols and processes.”

The Ministry of Education said some of the issues the safety plan was expected to address include increased gang activity and a commitment to improve the relationship between the school board and police.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2024.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press