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Les Leyne: Victoria board won’t back down on keeping police out of schools

9 1
08.01.2025

After an earlier safety plan was rejected by the education minister, the Greater Victoria School Board posted three more versions on Monday and warned it is ready to go to court over the issue of school police liaison officers.

Facing termination if they don’t comply with Education Minister Lisa Beare’s orders, the board released a 3,000-word memo accompanying a motion that tries to deflect the issue back to the minister.

It defies her on specific counts, rejects her general authority, hints at a split between the board and its senior staff, and discloses that the special adviser appointed by Beare has given up trying to work with the board.

The three versions of a safety plan were produced rapid fire over three days last week.

Board chair Nicole Duncan on Dec. 24 asked for two versions, one that included school police liaison officers and one that did not. The memo said she got “no substantive response” from staff or from special adviser Kevin Godden.

A single draft was produced Jan. 2, but the board found it “problematic.” Among other things, the memo said it “abrogated the board’s statutory duty to have ultimate oversight of all educational programs.”

The board has repeatedly complained that it doesn’t have authority over SPLOs, citing that as one of the reasons why it........

© Times Colonist


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