Vision Vancouver trustee Mike Lombardi says Bill 11 “emasculates” school boards

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      Vancouver school board chair Christopher Richardson says he’s “suspiciously cautious” about legislation introduced by Education Minister Peter Fassbender.

      Richardson was commenting on Bill 11, which, among other things, would allow the provincial minister to fire school boards if they don’t comply with an “administrative directive”. The Non-Partisan Association trustee told the Straight he doesn’t see the need for these enhanced powers.

      However, Richardson noted that with such authority, the minister may be able to “co-govern” better with school boards instead of sacking them outright.

      “That may be a middle ground,” Richardson said by phone. “Rather than either do nothing or turf, he has the ability to work with them with some severe, you know, some significant and increased powers to direct them to act.”

      Green school trustee Janet Fraser pointed out that the Ministry of Education already determines much of what school boards can do.

      “We get 91 percent of our revenue from the ministry, and 92 percent of what we get is spent on salaries and benefits,” Fraser told the Straight by phone. “So there’s not that much that we can independently manage.”

      Vision Vancouver trustee Patti Bacchus has expressed concern that the ministry may use its increased powers to force school closures and the sale of school lands.

      Her fellow Vision trustee, Mike Lombardi, shares the same worry, telling the Straight by phone: “It basically emasculates and takes over school boards.”

      The Education Ministry did not grant an interview.

      NPA trustee Fraser Ballantyne downplayed fears about Bill 11, which is also known as the Education Statutes Amendment Act.

      “I think that Fassbender is interested in finding out why—through the accounting processes—we’ve had, you know, over the last five years large shortfalls in the beginning of the year, where it provided a lot of angst and a lot of advocacy out there and noise out there in the media that is not necessarily warranted,” Ballantyne told the Straight by phone. “If you look back at the last five years, every single year we’ve been able to balance the budget and come out with a surplus.”

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