Five candidates vie for seat in North Van school board byelection

Plotting a path back to normal after a year of pandemic learning, working on the broader health of students, providing a different kind of voice at the table or options for kids who aren’t bound for college – all are goals of candidates running to represent the District of North Vancouver as the newest school trustee.

District of North Vancouver voters head to the polls on Saturday, May 29 in a byelection to replace former trustee Devon Bruce, who resigned earlier this year.

Five candidates are running for the single vacant seat on the board of education. The person elected will serve the remainder of the term – until October 2022.

For Jo-Anne Burleigh, active living co-ordinator with Vancouver Coastal Health, keeping the wellness of kids and staff at the forefront is key as the school system finds its way back to normal post-pandemic. So is “dealing with a challenged budget” as one of the biggest priorities in the upcoming school year. Burleigh grew up and went to school on the North Shore. As a former recreation therapist who worked in rehabilitative medicine, Burleigh said she’s also had experience working with diverse groups of people.

For Jullian Kolstee, the election presents a chance to get a different perspective at the board table. Those elected to school board tend to be people with kids in the system, of similar backgrounds, he said, adding he represents a different voice. Kolstee said as the son of a Carson Graham teacher, he was “always encouraged to step up and serve the community.”

Kolstee said he’d also like to champion mental health causes and a diverse range of educational offerings in schools.

Rebuilding a post-pandemic school community is a key priority for candidate Alex Kozak, a North Vancouver resident and high school teacher at West Vancouver Secondary.

Support for anxiety and mental health is important, said Kozak, as is thoughtfully re-building events and athletics that have been on hold.

“Schools are hubs of the community,” said Kozak. “We need to start to rebuild these things back. This is the number one priority for the next 16 months.”

For Linda Munro, stepping up to board is “the natural next step for me” after being involved in school activities from pre-school to Capilano University. As chair of the parent advisory committee at Ross Road Elementary, Munro said she’s had experience listening to parents and advocating on their behalf. Munro said she feels strongly about advocating for complex learning needs, which touches many families, as well as for indigenous education.

North Vancouver resident Linda Williams said as a trustee, she’d like to see more options developed for students who aren’t heading to university as well as greater career preparation. “Our students need to know what is out there for them,” she said. Williams said she brings her experience as a member of the Brooksbank PAC for many years to the table.

For more information on candidates, check out profiles posted here by the District of North Vancouver.

Voting on Saturday takes place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with seven voting places scattered throughout the district including Argyle Secondary, Braemar Elementary, Capilano Elementary, Cleveland Elementary, Lynnmour Elementary, Seycove Secondary and Windsor Secondary.

The last time there was a byelection for a North Vancouver school board seat was in 2009. In that race, 2,757 voters cast a ballot – a turnout of 4.75 per cent.

The by-election is expected to cost approximately $80,000.