The minister of education and childcare Jennifer Whiteside has issued a ministerial order for School District No. 57 to appoint another special advisory committee to work with the Board of Education.
The order was signed on July 15, and it appoints Roderick Allen and Kory Wilson as the special advisors to the board for a term ending on July 28, 2023.
Allen previously served as the Interim Superintendent of SD57 in Prince George for five months from July-December 2019 and was first appointed to a special committee to work with the SD 57 board on August 2021.
In February 2021, Whiteside appointed Kory Wilson and Catherine McGregor as special advisers to review the governance practices of the Prince George Board of Education.
They released a report which outlined concerns in the school district, including educational outcomes for Indigenous students, relationships with First Nations communities, allocation of resources and strategic planning.
Allen then joined McGregor and Wilson as a special advisory team to work with the board to ensure trustees understood the recommendations set out by Wilson and McGregor and to draft a work plan that details how the board will address the recommendations among other proprieties.
The special advisory committee will now review the board’s progress as it prepares its multi-year strategic plan to ensure it incorporates recommendations of the previous special advisory committee.
The special advisory committee will work with the Board and ministry staff as necessary and must meet with the board at least four times during the term of appointment.
Wilson will, on behalf of the special advisory committee, will act as a liaison to facilitate communication between the board and First Nations rightsholders and Indigenous partners.
The committee will submit reports to the Minister in respect to the progress made at least every two months and must submit a final report, including any recommendations on or before July 14, 2023.
Remuneration for the special advisory committee is approved by the Minister and will be paid by the board up to $75,000.
The committee may also be working with a new SD57 board of education, as school board trustees will have to be elected as part of the municipal elections set for October 15.
Voters will have to elect seven trustees where two designated seats are reserved for representatives from the rural communities of the Robson Valley and McBride.
Long-time school board trustee Tim Bennett announced he will not be seeking election to the board of education as he’s throwing his hat into the ring for a seat on Prince George city council.
