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Former DPAC chair Donna Burke seeks Delta school board seat

Former Delta district parent advisory council chair Donna Burke announced Thursday she is running for a seat on the Delta school board.

Former Delta district parent advisory council chair Donna Burke announced Thursday she is running for a seat on the Delta school board.

"The financial strains facing school boards compound year by year," said Burke, who was chair of the district parent council from 2006 to 2010.

She said the "non-election" in 2008 (when seven candidates were acclaimed) was frustrating for those who wanted to have a frank and open discussion about the challenges facing school districts in B.C.

"Declining enrollment, an equitable funding formula, especially for special needs students, and deteriorating facilities are only a few of the important issues the next board will face," she said.

"The funding formula is broken. Public education is suffering death by a thousand cuts and trustees need to be the first line of offense when it comes to petitioning Victoria for fair and equitable funding."

Burke said she looks forward to working on a board that will reach out and mobilize parents and education partners to present a united front and do what's best for students.

She said she will push for this and is heartened by the number of quality candidates standing for election.

Burke is a strong advocate for parent involvement in public schools and the parent voice in school district governance.

"If I'm elected to the board, I will be reaching out to all corners of the school district to ensure the people who want to share their ideas for improvement are listened to. The best decisions are made when there are a variety of voices in the room.

"I'm proud of the work DPAC parent representatives did when I was chair. We created a safe place for open, honest conversations with school district administrators and our other education partners."

Burke said parents were heard at the DPAC table and that continues today.

"My role as a collaborative parent leader has prepared me well for the role of trustee."

She said through her work with Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast B.C. she is impressed on a daily basis by the young people in our community.

"We cannot let them down," she said.

The election is set for Nov. 19.