Last Saturday’s municipal election brought little change to one of my regular beats, the Greater Victoria school board.

With more than 160,000 votes cast, seven familiar faces are returning to the table along with newcomers Catherine Alpha and David Pitre. Whether it was name recognition, a coin toss approach or a strong platform, all incumbents were re-elected except current vice-chair Mark Walsh.

Even though the 29-year-old has been a strong supporter of green initiatives and promoted music and athletics programs in the district, he has also been known to boast about board accomplishments even in the face of criticism.

Who knows if that had any effect on Walsh’s chances of re-election. But it’s safe to say parents of school-aged children want to hear trustees talk about solving problems rather than promoting the board’s initiatives.

Even though voter turnout in the region was once again grim, those voters who took an interest in this year’s trustee race deserve our appreciation. The Greater Victoria school district enrols nearly 20,000 students in schools located in the municipalities of Esquimalt, Oak Bay, Victoria, View Royal and portions of Saanich and Highlands. Trustee candidates might not receive as much attention as those running for mayor or council, but the roles are just as important. The decisions made by the nine-member school board have a direct effect on every child. Of course, trustees are bound by provincial mandates but they still make decisions about closing schools and choosing what programs will get a piece of the funding pie and which ones won’t.

For the candidates who weren’t elected, I thank you for bringing forward concerns of parents and teachers. Solutions may not be developed for some time, but the issues are now at the forefront. What I found surprising, however, was that the vocal opposition to the board before the election seems to have had little effect on the outcome. There were many community members who expressed unhappiness with the current board and the way they’ve governed the district. But if they wanted change, why was there an abundance of support for the current trustees?

Given the election outcome, the direction of the district can’t be expected to change a great deal over the next three years.

There will be the same voices supporting the same priorities. The most evident is trustee John Young, who managed to increase his voter support by 1,800 votes this election. Young is essentially a one-issue board member advocating for the abolition of all school fees. Expect his lengthy, repetitive addresses to continue to prolong board meetings.

I’m interested to see how much support newcomer Catherine Alpha receives for her initiatives. She campaigned as a candidate for the Victoria Public Education Coalition, which received criticism for its affiliation with the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association. Alpha will be the lone voice of the coalition on the board and can be expected to strongly advocate for smaller class sizes, no school closures and full public funding for all programs, especially those supporting students with special needs.

Once trustees take over board business on Dec. 8, they will need to prove themselves to the public and follow through with promises made. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure the board represents the public’s voice in education, but families can expect to see organizations like the Victoria Confederation of Parents Advisory Councils and the Greater Victoria Teacher’s Association working overtime to hold trustees accountable the next three years.

Kerrie-Ann Schoenit covers education for Black Press Greater Victoria.

kschoenit@oakbaynews.com