There's something to be said about just showing up.
The three trustee candidates that will be representing Squamish and its surrounding areas in the Sea to Sky School board are just about guaranteed to win their seats.
That's because the final deadlines for nominations and challenges have passed, and there's no one running against them.
Barring an unforeseen disaster, trustees Rick Price and Ian Kent are expected to reclaim their seats as the Squamish representatives for the Sea to Sky School District.
Celeste Bickford, who also ran uncontested, is expected to be starting her first term as the Area D trustee for the school board. Area D represents the rural areas surrounding the District of Squamish, such as Britannia Beach, Furry Creek and Upper Squamish Valley.
She will be replacing long-time trustee Laura Godfrey, who declined to run after moving out of the Squamish area.
The Sea to Sky School District will elect seven representatives — two for Squamish, two for Whistler, one for Pemberton, one for Electoral Area C and one for Electoral Area D.
Price, who has been chairing the board this past term, said that he will be continuing to support the current path that the Sea to Sky School District has been taking.
"I haven't heard any evidence that we're on the wrong track and I've seen lots of evidence that we're on the the right track," said Price.
"I would be pleased to support those directions."
This last term saw the creation of the high-profile grades-free pilot program known as Communicating Student Learning, or CSL.
Indigenous graduation rates have soared to 86.1 per cent, making the Sea to Sky a leader in Aboriginal education.
Lately, the school district has also contemplated the use of a flexible timetable throughout all grades, which would mirror the current arrangement found in many local elementary schools.
Price said he would be continuing his support for CSL, which has just been renewed this year.
Some parents have expressed reservations about removing grades, but Price said that guardians can still access their children's letter grades upon request.
"I think it's a pretty sound compromise and I do think it's serving our students well," he said.
With respect to flexible timetables, Price said that idea is still in its very early stages, and more discussion will take place before anything happens.
He also addressed some of the challenges that the school board has faced.
A 2016 UBC survey called the Early Development Instrument has found children entering kindergarten in the Sea to Sky had a 31 per cent chance of being vulnerable in either their physical, mental or social well-being.
Subsequently, the Middle Years Development Instrument survey found that students in the Sea to Sky, on average, were doing slightly better than children provincewide. However, a significant number of students still were classified as having "low well-being."
"Those two surveys confirm what we've suspected or actually known through our own observations, and that, indeed, addressing those concerns will become a very significant high objective of the board over the next term," Price said.
A separate set of surveys also found that Indigenous students were more likely to experience negative interactions and emotions in school, among other things.
"The [Indigenous education plan] has to be designed to address those things," said Price.
"They would probably be at the top of the list for objectives. And again, our senior staff will be extensively consulting with all of our partners — our Aboriginal partners and our teaching staff — in order to figure out what the most appropriate strategies are to improve those outcomes for those Aboriginal kids, because it's tragic that they should be that different in those measures."
Kent, who served the previous term as the vice-chair of the school board, shared similar positions on the subjects that Price addressed.
Kent said he wanted to keep building on the Sea to Sky's high graduation rates.
"For all students, not just Indigenous students... we have some of the highest right now," he said.
"We want to stay on top of that. We're excited. Success builds success."
He also added that he wanted work on adding more course options, and said one goal was to ask parents and educators what other programs they would like to see offered.
"Talk to the communities," said Kent. "What do you want to see in a school?"
With respect to the gradeless pilot program and the possibility of flexible timetables, Kent said public meetings and consultations would be the way to make sure everyone benefits.
"Times are different," he said. "So let's get together and talk about it, and see what we can make work."
Regarding students' well-being and mental health, Kent said that the school district is working with Vancouver Coastal Health and other agencies to come up with solutions.
"We're aware of it," he said. "We're trying to put programs together that cover it."
Kent also added that another big priority for him was accommodating the growing student population of the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Many facilities are filling up or are already overflowing.
Kent said the school district has brought in portables for several Squamish schools.
Months ago, the school board sent requested a slate of upgrades and renovations for Sea to Sky schools. The Ministry of Education needs to sign off on them in order for work to begin.
"Right now, particularly Whistler and Squamish are a concern," said Kent. "We're going to have to get on that right away."
Bickford declined to comment for this story.
