The Greater Victoria School District is blaming a deficit in communication with other stakeholders regarding the development of a safety plan for SD61 schools.
Education Minister Lisa Beare threatened the potential dismissal of the school board on Dec. 6 if a ministry-approved safety plan was not in place by Jan. 6 – a move ultimately caused by the 2023 cancellation of the school police liaison officer program which has been a contentious issue as police have reported an uptick in gang activity within Greater Victoria schools.
On Sept. 17, then-minister of education Rachna Singh ordered the board to develop the safety plan in collaboration with Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay police departments, the West Shore RCMP detachment, and local First Nations by Nov. 15.
In a letter to the ministry from the board, which was handed in with the draft safety plan on Nov. 15, board chair Nicole Duncan noted the timeline for the plan was ambitious and it "has impaired the board's ability to meaningfully collaborate with the range of interested parties."
They explained that with support of the district's Indigenous Education Department, they reached out to the "Four Houses" of Indigenous peoples the board works with – Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, Metis Nation of Greater Victoria and Urban Peoples' House Indigenous Advisory – and after meetings on Nov. 8 and 12, they received feedback which "indicated a need for further engagement with the Nations."
On Dec. 2, a joint letter from the Songhees and Esquimalt chiefs called for the reinstatement of the police liaison program, saying there was an "egregious" lack of communication and consultation between the parties, which Duncan acknowledged in a subsequent statement.
The board also noted that the Metis Nation had no comments on the draft safety plan, and the Urban Peoples' House Indigenous Advisory was unable to comment within the time available.
"We are concerned that we have not been able to engage sufficiently with all of the Four Houses, including appropriate further dialogue with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, or to receive feedback from the Urban Peoples' House Indigenous Advisor," noted the letter.
Additionally, the ministerial order directed that the safety plan address crime prevention and proactive crime prevention strategies at schools, which the board notes is not a "power, function or duty" of the board per the School Act.
"Although crime prevention is not a function of the board, the board appreciates that it is responsible for determining policy for the efficient and effective operation of schools, the provision of an educational program to students, and the provision of health, social and other support services in district schools," noted the letter.
The board met with police delegates on eight occasions between November 2023 and September 2024 to discuss the shared responsibility for student safety, where police partners, according to the board's letter, demonstrated a "general lack of interest" in collaborating with the district and little was accomplished within those meetings.
The board says they invited the four police services to discuss the safety plan on Oct. 8, but the police departments instead opted to use the meeting to revisit the board's decision to not rely on school liaison officers.
In submitting the safety plan at that time, the board noted that it did not support the use of police services to manage student behaviour or discipline, unless it involved criminal behaviour, and would rather use appropriate district staff and trained, qualified professionals to lead proactive student supports and interventions.
The November draft safety plan, which was made public with the letter to the ministry, included a number of policies and protocols relating to online safety, drills and crisis response. It also notes a "gang risk assessment" which identified a lack of codified communication protocol between police services and the district.
"Where there is an actual or potential risk to members of our learning community, we will continue to activate our existing protocols and proactive measures outlined in the safety plan to appropriately address student safety in collaboration with our staff, and community partners, which includes police services," noted the draft safety plan.
The board now has less than a month, working with a ministry-appointed advisor, to develop a plan to be approved by Beare's office.
With files from Arnold Lim
