Frequently Asked Questions & Answers as circulated by Trustee David Murchie

Q: Why are you seeking election?

A: I want the public school system to focus on education, listen to the public, implement fair policies and focus on what is best for our students and communities’ futures. If we value public schools as parts of our communities, we need to do everything we can to support and preserve them for current and future students. I am seeking re-election as a School Trustee because protecting, preserving and improving our public schools is crucial to everyone’s future, and I believe the public needs trustees who are willing to do this.

Q: What issues are you running on in this election?

A: First, improve learning. We need to focus on improving learning and create a plan which supports every students’ academic, social and physical development.

Second, maintain stable learning communities. Trustees need to work with employee groups to find ways to stop unnecessary layoffs which cause turnover at schools. Programs should not be cancelled or changed without warning, and Trustees should not return to the scorched earth facility planning strategy calling for the closure and sale of up to 8 more schools across the district. Schools should be the most stable part of our communities, not the least stable.

Facilities Planning Q&A

Q: Do you support selling off more schools? Why?

A: Generally No. Our student enrolment is projected to grow by thousands after the current enrolment dip ends. We have already sold off many of our most viable future school sites, and the only two properties purchased recently are not suitable for schools (Oliver Rd and Northfield). The remaining school sites which are in good locations should be kept for future public schools. Only properties which are unsuitable for a public school due to covenant(i.e. Oliver Rd), or size/location(i.e. Northfield) should be sold.
Q: Do you support closing schools?

A: School closures have been proven to cause community decay, lower property values and higher taxes. School closures should only be considered as a last resort. While school closure is sometimes necessary, it should be community and neighbourhood demographics which determine when schools need to be closed, not politics.

Q: Do we have classrooms shortages or surpluses?

A: We have both, it just depends where you are in the district. Most schools do not have empty classrooms. Classrooms being used for daycares, music, strong starts, Learning Assistance and even Kindergarten have been labelled "empty" in recent years because the number of empty classrooms is sometimes calculated by formula and statistics rather than by actual use. A small number of schools have a significant number of classrooms which are not used for anything, but these schools are in communities like Gabriola, Ladysmith and Harewood and these communities are willing to adapt to their neighbourhood schools' changing size with expanded community use of surplus classrooms.

Q: What is our biggest facility planning challenge?

A: Planning for the future instead of the present and past is our district's biggest facility planning challenge. The short term enrolment dip caused by baby-boomer-echo demographics will turn into another enrolment boom when the second boomer-echo rolls in. Unless we plan for this enrolment growth projected by every level of government, our schools will become severely overcrowded and we will return to the days when portables covered our playgrounds, parking lots and school fields. Our community needs to come to grips with the fact that our community will need more schools, and we should be planning for those schools now.

Q: Why did you vote to reverse the closure of Woodlands and NDSS and build one new school?

A: It was a short-sighted opportunistic plan which would have created over $100m in taxpayer debt and tax increases. It would have required extensive cuts to programs to fund, and was generally irresponsible from a taxpayer and community perspective. In the long term it would have created unbearable overcrowding in schools. Comparable facility improvements could be had for a fraction the cost based on school district studies and without jeopardizing the quality of public education in our district.