Lisa Beare, Minister of Education and Child Care, has appointed Kevin Godden, former superintendent of the Abbotsford School District, as a special adviser to the Greater Victoria School District 61 to help the board of education revise and improve its previously submitted safety plan.

“It is a top priority of our government that schools must be welcoming places where all students and staff can come to learn and grow safely,” Beare said. “I believe the best approach to safety is a collaborative one. That’s why I am taking immediate action to ensure students and staff in SD61 are returning to school in the new year with a safety plan in place.”

The appointment of the special adviser takes effect immediately. The special adviser will assist the board with developing a revised safety plan, including an implementation plan, to be submitted by Jan. 6, 2025. As part of this process, a working group will be convened with the board, safety experts, police and key community partners and rightsholders.

The decision follows an administrative directive that required the school district to develop a proactive, co-ordinated safety plan to address safety concerns. Safer Schools Together, the Province’s team of school safety experts, conducted an independent review of the district’s safety plan with a panel of experts.

After discussions and consultations with the Songhees First Nation and Esquimalt First Nation, the four area police chiefs, the president of the Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils and School District 61’s board of trustees, and after seeing the results of the external review, the safety plan submitted by the district in November 2024 was not approved by the minister.

“While the school district’s safety plan provides some support for high-risk vulnerable youth and staff training, the plan is deficient in addressing key aspects of a comprehensive safety plan,” said Theresa Campbell, Safer Schools Together founder and chief executive officer. “Proactive safety plans must include strong relationships and collaboration with law enforcement, First Nations and other community partners. There is also a need for more specificity regarding safety strategies, protocols and processes.”

Section 171.1 of the School Act enables the minister of education and child care to appoint special adviser(s) to help a board of education in the conduct of the affairs of the school district in respect of any educational, financial or community matters. The board and its employees must assist the special adviser in carrying out their duties.

Learn More:

To view the ministerial order appointing the special adviser, visit: 
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/m0406_2024

To view the ministerial order implementing the September 2024 administrative directive, visit:
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/mo/mo/m0339_2024

To read the School Act, visit:
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96412_00_multi#division_d2e25504

Two backgrounders follow.