Nine SD72 candidates up for School Board seats

Nine SD72 candidates up for School Board seats

Published 4:30 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2026

Nine candidates vying for seats on the School District 72 Board of Education gathered at the Tidemark Theatre on Oct. 4 for a public forum to outline their visions for local governance and student success.

Chamber of Commerce chair Corey Magowan opened the Sunday evening debate and introduced moderator Morgan Kyle. Kyle let candidates know they would have 90 seconds for each response to questions that were sent in by the public, followed by an audience Q&A in the second half.

The public is invited to watch the full event recording on the Campbell River & District Chamber’s YouTube channel.

Kyle’s first question focused on the role of the board, how each candidate understood the role of individual trustees, and what each would do if they strongly disagreed with a decision made by the superintendent or senior staff while the majority of the board supported it.

Hannah Clausen: My job as a trustee is to work with the team. Our job is to take the policies that are passed down from the Minister of Education and review them and make decisions based on the needs at the time to support the children. If I disagreed with a decision the board had made, I would review the facts and present my case, but ultimately I would support the decision made by the board.

Linda Spetch: Looking at this from a different perspective, I believe the superintendent makes good decisions. But if there were a case where we didn’t agree with something the superintendent had done, it would be discussed by the trustees and approached by the chair. It is not something that, as individuals, we would go and talk to the superintendent about. That just wouldn’t be cool. And if I disagreed with a decision other trustees made, in a confidential meeting I would definitely state my case, but as a group we have to come to a decision we all agree with and I would be happy to go along with whatever the rest of the trustees want. It’s majority rules.

Vocational and career paths was the second question’s topic, with Kyle asking what SD72 should be doing differently or more aggressively to prepare students for employment, trades, apprenticeships, college, university, and other pathways after graduation.

Craig Gillis: We called this “21st-century learning” some time ago and we had a very robust career opportunity program in the Campbell River School District when there was appropriate funding to support it. In fact, my wife was a career facilitator for a number of years. I come from a place that says, in times of dwindling resources, create positive partnerships so we can make our dollars go further. We still have our 30-hour work experience, but it’s become a very light version of what once existed. I think we need to go back to our schools and determine how, with our current staffing, we can make those connections. It’s critical that people get a taste of what they might wish to do in their future before fully investing in it. Our former career opportunity programs were such an amazing way of becoming a partner with many of our employment agencies and local businesses.

Christian Stapff: There’s a lot of great stuff that’s been said and being at the end of the table I get to hear it, which is great. I’d add: why don’t we have more hands-on activities in elementary schools? We start in Grade 8 and go on to Grade 12. I know dual-credit programs already exist. At the last school I worked at in the ’90s in Australia, there were programs that did not lead on to university but were designed for post-secondary colleges of advanced education. We need to continue to support that and show kids that these are legitimate pathways that are just as honourable as going to university. You’ll still need to think and develop your numeracy and thinking skills to be successful in an apprenticeship and it needs to be clear to students what they need to do to succeed when they go into one.

Following the discussion on post-secondary pathways, the forum shifted focus, with Kyle’s third question focusing on Indigenous education and reconciliation. Candidates were asked what meaningful progress in Indigenous student success and reconciliation looks like and how the board should determine whether its commitments are producing tangible results for Indigenous students.

Daryl Hagen: Many years ago, as chair of this board, I signed the first First Nations agreement in the province. We sat down and negotiated with the government. We said we thought we could do a better job than the government could and we began a process of measuring, assessing and gathering statistics on how to move ahead with Aboriginal education. I’m pleased to say we’ve made strides in our district, but there is so much work to do. This is an area I have a lot of passion for. We have to have people become excited, enlist all the members and energize the parents, teachers and educators in our district to be focused on outcomes, so that we don’t have some of the outcomes we still see today. I’m really excited about the opportunities before us and I’m sure we can do a better job than we’re doing now. But we’re on the way. We have a great relationship and I’m very proud of our First Nations in this district.

Cristi May Sacht: I believe it starts with relationships, deep and sincere relationships with all of our local Nations. One of the tools we have as a board of education is the equity scan. In Comox Valley Schools we just completed our first equity scan that was completely Indigenous-run, so the feedback from community guides the work. We need feedback from community on what’s working and what’s not working for their families, so we can guide our work appropriately. We need to give our students a voice. Our Indigenous students need to see themselves in their schools; they need to feel welcome and safe in these spaces. That’s why it’s so beautiful to see more artwork being incorporated into our schools: things they can relate to. Anything that is good for any Indigenous student is good for all students. This is not a division; this is bringing everyone together. Ensuring our schools are safe and inclusive for everyone is a path forward. But again I’ll go back to relationship and to hearing from community and having community direct the work of the board.

Kat Eddy: We have a responsibility, as non-Indigenous people, to learn so that we can better understand how to support our community’s kids. We’re making the effort to lean in to local knowledge holders and build relationships, but there’s so much learning to do and so much that I don’t understand through my Western lens. We need to create opportunities for community members to teach not only us but our children, so that we can all have a broader understanding and remembering of the place where we stand. And there is some success: last year saw the largest Indigenous graduation rate ever out of the Campbell River School District. I’m very proud of that and deeply grateful to the We Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum Nations for hosting the events in the Big House. It was an incredibly beautiful experience and one that allowed all Indigenous communities to celebrate their children walking the stage and receiving their diplomas. We are making strides, but there’s so much more work to do and we must do it humbly and respectfully.

Turning to curriculum matters, candidates were then asked by Kyle what their understanding was of the sexual health curriculum and SOGI-inclusive education, the purpose of each, and what their perspective was on the role they should play in ensuring students receive age-appropriate health education and that all students feel safe, respected, and included in our schools.

Joyce McMann: The curriculum is laid out in a way that promotes understanding of health and well-being and it is very age-appropriate from kindergarten through grade 12. SOGI is not part of that. SOGI is a resource that teachers can access should they feel a need for more information. We accept children as they come through the door. We do not make children; we do not design children; we do not have an agenda to create them into something we think would be more appropriate. We’re there to support children and help them feel safe and valued and access the kinds of opportunities we can provide for their own health and well-being. I’m not sure I’m answering the question, but SOGI is not a curriculum item.

Rachel Balabuch: I think it’s important to separate SOGI from the provincial sexual health curriculum, because they aren’t the same thing. SOGI provides resources to help educators understand and support students of different sexual orientations and gender identities. I absolutely support giving our teachers the tools they need to make every student feel safe, respected, and supported at school. Sexual health education is a separate part of the provincial Physical and Health Education curriculum. I believe those lessons need to be age-appropriate and I strongly support transparency with parents. Families should know in advance what health topics and materials will be covered so they can have those conversations at home and understand that there is an alternate delivery option available to them.

Voters across Campbell River will head to the polls on election day to elect the trustees who will shape the future governance and educational direction of School District 72.