School district land, staff, and buildings are among the largest public assets in our communities, and they sit idle a great deal of the time. Our municipalities, our post-secondary institutions, and the Navy all have capacity we do not, and all of them have reason to work with us. Every one of these partnerships is a way to deliver more for students without asking taxpayers for more.
My Plan.
Municipalities need gym space, meeting space, field time, and emergency staging areas. The district owns all of it, and in most cases we are maintaining it alone on an education budget. I will pursue formal joint-use agreements with our local municipalities that share costs and open school facilities to the community outside school hours, starting with one signed agreement in the first year.
CFB Esquimalt is next door, many of our families are military families, and the base holds real depth in damage control, firefighting, first aid, and logistics. That is training and expertise we cannot buy, offered by people who already live here and already send their kids to our schools. I will work to build a standing relationship with the base covering emergency planning, training support, and career exposure for students considering a trade or a service career.