The Victoria School Board was dissolved by British Columbia's education minister, Lisa Beare, due to a disagreement over a safety plan that excluded police from schools except in emergencies. Minister Beare cited concerns about student safety and appointed Sherri Bell, a former superintendent and Camosun College president, as the sole trustee to manage the district until the 2026 municipal elections. The board's decision to ban police from schools, implemented in 2023, was based on reports that some students and teachers, especially Indigenous and people of colour, felt unsafe in the presence of law enforcement.
VICTORIA — British Columbia's education minister has fired the entire Victoria School Board in a dispute over a safety plan where the board barred police from schools except in emergencies. Minister Lisa Beare says student safety is at risk in the district and she has appointed a lone trustee to oversee the district until the next municipal elections set for the fall of 2026.
Beare says the appointment is effective immediately, which will clear the way for the completion of a safety plan for the district. She says the government has given the board many opportunities to act, but it hasn’t delivered. Sherri Bell, former president of Camosun College and superintendent of schools in Victoria, has been appointed as the trustee to replace the board. Police have not been permitted at Victoria schools except in special circumstances since 2023, and the board said it based its decision to ban officers on reports that some students and teachers — particularly those who are Indigenous or people of colour — don't feel safe with officers in schools.
EDUCATION POLICE SAFETY SCHOOL BOARD BRITISH COLUMBIA
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