Kamloops voters hear from school trustee hopefuls ahead of municipal election

“The whole point of tonight is just to make sure all of our parents are as informed as they possibly can be in their decisions,” says Melisa Dussault, the acting chair of DPAC. “This decision affects their children for four years, so it is a very important one.”

The District Parent Advisory Council helped review the questions, making sure they reflected concerns brought forward by parents throughout the year. Those in attendance also had their own chance to ask – as interest in the district’s decision making continues to grow.

“I definitely see a great turnout… with DPAC itself, we’ve got a lot more engagement, questions and people reaching out all the time,” continues Dussault.

But the conversation doesn’t end after the election results.

DPAC acts as a constant link between families and the school district, bringing the concerns heard from parents to the other side of the table. Dussault emphasized the goal – to continue that transparency and communication.

“DPAC serves as an advisory council, and we’re kind of that middleman between parents and the district. We take the information from both sides and kind of just help the parents understand the school system, and we help the school district understand the concerns and the needs of the parents when they come to us.”

For the 16 candidates, Tuesday evening was a chance to make their case for voters.

The final say comes October 17, when they’ll choose five to take a seat at the board table.

by Jeremy Russo

Kamloops voters hear from school trustee hopefuls ahead of municipal election

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