The Greater Victoria School Board has posted on the district’s website the safety plan rejected by Education Minister Lisa Beare last week.
Both submitted with it last month were posted on the website Tuesday morning. The plan had been requested by Beare’s predecessor Rachna Singh amid controversy over the board’s decision to axe the police liaison officer program in schools last year.
The submitted plan was rejected by Beare, who said it didn’t do enough to address increased student-to-student violence and reports of gang activity in schools, something raised by area police forces. She also noted there is a police presence in every other school district in the province.
The board has said since the program was scrapped in May 2023 that a police presence causes discomfort for Black and Indigenous students, something raised by B.C. human rights commissioner Kasari Govender.
In suggesting releasing the plan publicly, school board trustee Karin Kwan said: “I think that the public has a right to see the work that has been done so far.
“This is something I don’t think the public has really had a chance to look at.”
One of the “key safety objectives” outlined in the plan is preventing incidents such as physical altercations, inappropriate use of social media, use of weapons, and behaviour-related issues through education, training and awareness.
The plan says the board has prioritized establishing a communication protocol with police since 2023 but no agreement has been reached.
The board is “committed to improved relations with the police services,” the plan says.
Beare has told the board to come up with a revised plan by Jan. 6 or face repercussions that could include dismissal.
She appointed former Abbotsford School District superintendent Kevin Godden as a special adviser to work with the board.
Songhees Nation Chief Ron Sam and Esquimalt Nation Chief Jerome Thomas weighed in on the board’s 2023 decision in a recent letter, saying they have “grave concerns” about the move to do away with liaison officers and lack of consultation about it.
Beare said that after meeting with the board, area police chiefs, First Nations and others, she determined there had been a breakdown in relationships between the board and “community agencies and rightsholders.”
The plan’s cover letter from board chair Nicole Duncan said the short time frame to produce the safety plan “impaired the board’s ability to meaningfully collaborate with the range of interested parties we have identified as having an interest in the safety plan.”
The call for the plan from then-education minister Singh was issued in mid-September with a mid-November deadline.
The letter specified that further engagement with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations was needed.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak has said he is pleased with Beare’s request for a revised plan.
In a statement Tuesday after the current plan’s release, the Victoria Police Department said it is committed to help develop a safety plan “that is responsive to community needs and concerns, and which will keep our students and schools safe, now and in the future.”
“Youth need trusted adults more than ever, and it’s imperative that police be part of the community of support for them.”
Officers can serve as a complement to teachers and other professionals in a school setting, the department said.
