CANDIDATE PROFILE: Cole Hickson

I was a terrible student in high school – a C student who wasn’t particularly interested in what they were doing.

However, a bad injury led me to attend a semester at TRU and everything seemed to change. At university, I found subjects and opportunities I cared about and quickly became an A student, a club leader, and student advocate.

That experience has shaped how I approach education and the importance of helping students find their interests.

I then served four elected terms with the TRU Students’ Union (TRUSU) where I gained a foundation in board experience and political advocacy before being elected as a school trustee in 2022.

I’m running again because I think there’s consequential momentum that I think I created in this role locally, regionally, and provincially.

The priorities I have are around clearer communication, stronger provincial funding advocacy, and more opportunities for students, and community partnerships. My first term has given me a strong understanding of our board dynamic, built relationships, and skills to be a far more effective trustee.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing SD73 and how would you use your elected position to address it?

Funding, because it affects almost everything else we’re trying to accomplish. Classroom support, CEA staffing, school maintenance and the opportunities available to students all depend on having adequate, predictable resources.

We have a responsibility to manage our own budget properly. But we also need to make a stronger case for funding that reflects the actual needs of our schools and students.

For three consecutive terms, I’ve been elected by fellow trustees to the BCSTA Thompson-Okanagan Branch Executive. A major reason I’ve pursued that work is to build a more unified regional and provincial voice on education funding.

I’ve seen what that approach can accomplish.

At TRUSU, I helped lead a regional funding campaign, working with councils and community organizations from Williams Lake to Logan Lake, and Lillooet to Chase. We spent years building support around a pretty simple argument: public funding should be distributed in a way that is equitable, transparent, and actually reflects the communities institutions serve.

I want to bring that same energy of community engagement to school funding advocacy – even if it’s moving the dial just a couple of notches. We have considerably more influence when school boards, employees, families, and communities are making a clear united ask.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing students and how would you address it?

I think one of the biggest issues is students becoming disconnected from school, whether that’s because they’re struggling, they don’t feel they belong, or they haven’t found something that interests them.

I understand that personally. I didn’t suddenly become more capable when I went to university. I found a reason to care about what I was learning.

I want strong foundations in reading, writing, and math, alongside more opportunities for students to see where their education can take them. That includes trades, arts, outdoor learning, financial literacy and stronger connections with TRU, local employers and community organizations.

Students also need support when they’re struggling. Teachers, CEAs and other support staff need the resources to help them participate and succeed.

My goal is for more young people to find their interests, their community and their confidence, and to see a meaningful future for themselves here.

What are your thoughts on communication between SD73, its schools and the region’s residents? As a trustee, would you speak to your votes and decisions on the record?

Yes. Residents should be able to ask how I voted and why and get a straightforward answer.

I have been very open in my belief around improving our communication, and it’s one of the core pillars of my campaign for re-election.

There’s excellent work happening in our schools that deserves more attention, but we also need to communicate difficult news earlier and more clearly.

The budget shortfall showed how much trust can be damaged when people don’t feel adequately informed. Families, employees, and members of our community need to understand what has happened, what it means for them and what we’re doing about it.

I want more plain-language updates, community conversations, and opportunities for people to reach trustees directly.

There are confidential personnel and student matters I can’t discuss publicly. Where those limits apply, I’ll explain that. For public decisions, I’m prepared to speak on the record and stand behind my reasoning.

Following a term highlighted by allegations of bullying and harassment by its former superintendent and a $2.2 million budget shortfall, how would you use your position to bring stability to the school district?

It was a difficult term, and I understand why people have questions about the district’s leadership. Stability starts with acknowledging that and following through on what needs to improve.

As a trustee, I share responsibility for the board’s oversight.

The budget shortfall was one of the most difficult experiences of my first term, particularly because of the consequences for employees and students. I donated the remainder of my trustee stipend for that fiscal year during the reductions, but rebuilding confidence requires changes to how we work.

I want clearer financial reporting, stronger checks on forecasts, and earlier communication when problems arise. Trustees need to ask difficult questions and make sure the information we’re receiving supports sound decisions.

The allegations concerning the former superintendent are serious. However, we followed our processes in place for that reason. Employees have safe ways to raise concerns and should have confidence in their leadership that those concerns will be addressed fairly, and protected from retaliation.

At the board table, I want to continue contributing to a respectful, productive working environment.

We can disagree on policy and still work together.

My focus would be on consistent oversight, constructive relationships with staff and our union partners, and keeping students and our community at the centre of our decisions.

Why should residents give you their vote?

I bring four years of experience in this role, a background in communications and economics, and a clear sense of what I want to accomplish next.

I’ve been elected three consecutive times by my regional trustee peers to the BCSTA Thompson-Okanagan Branch Executive, where I’ve been working to strengthen our advocacy with some significant momentum going into this next term.

As a board, we helped bring the new elementary school in Pineview over the finish line and supported a streamlined CEA training pathway to help bring more support staff into our classrooms.

I’ve also learned a lot during a difficult first term. I understand the role better, the relationships needed to get things done, and the areas where we need to improve.

I want residents to have a trustee they can reach, who will explain decisions and work to bring the community into solving problems. And I want to keep building the regional and provincial relationships that can help us secure better support for our students and schools.

by CFJC Today

CANDIDATE PROFILE: Cole Hickson

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