Most of the Greater Victoria School District’s senior leadership team is on leave, an internal staff email indicates, raising fresh questions about governance and operational transparency as teachers and students prepare to return to classes in just over a week.
Who is listed as on leave
The email, addressed to principals and vice‑principals and appearing to come from Caroline Manders, the superintendent’s executive assistant, lists four senior leaders as being on leave: the superintendent, the secretary‑treasurer, the deputy superintendent and an associate superintendent.
- Deb Whitten — superintendent (appears to be on leave)
- Katrina Stride — secretary‑treasurer (appears to be on leave)
- Tom Aerts — deputy superintendent (appears to be on leave)
- Sean Powell — associate superintendent (appears to be on leave)
Two other senior positions listed on the district website — associate secretary‑treasurer and communications specialist — were not mentioned in the email.
Trustees demand answers as past dispute lingers
School board trustees said they are trying to understand what took place at the district during a period when trustees were removed by the province and later reinstated. Their statement raised concerns about the possible provision of financial benefits to people who opposed the board’s stance on the school police liaison officer program, and about transactions occurring outside normal operating processes.
“This is not merely a governance concern for this Board, but for the school community as a whole as well as future elected boards exercising local policy decisions that may conflict with the minister’s views,” the trustees said in a statement.
The trustees called for full transparency and said the community deserves complete information about what has occurred.
Context: a board‑provincial conflict and a high‑profile reinstatement
The district’s recent history includes a contentious clash with the provincial education ministry. In January 2025, the province dismissed all nine elected trustees amid a dispute connected to the district’s cancellation of the school police liaison program. The trustees challenged the dismissals in court and were reinstated in May after lawyers for the province disclosed text messages involving senior provincial education officials and a Victoria police deputy. The published reporting notes that the disclosed message exchange played a role in the trustees’ reinstatement.
The current leaves occur against that backdrop and come at a sensitive time: staff must finalise preparations for the start of classes in the coming days, and parents, teachers and support staff will be watching how the district assures continuity of services.
Operational implications and outstanding questions
District operations rely on the senior leadership team for budgeting, staffing, special‑education planning and other day‑to‑day functions. The email does not specify how long the leaves will last or who will assume those responsibilities in the interim. Attempts to confirm the email’s authenticity with Manders and Whitten were not successful; both did not respond to requests for comment.
| Position | Name (as listed) | Reported status |
|---|---|---|
| Superintendent | Deb Whitten | On leave (per staff email) |
| Secretary‑treasurer | Katrina Stride | On leave (per staff email) |
| Deputy superintendent | Tom Aerts | On leave (per staff email) |
| Associate superintendent | Sean Powell | On leave (per staff email) |
Trustees’ concerns, as summarised in their statement, include:
- Possible financial benefits to individuals who opposed the board’s position on the school police liaison program.
- Transactions that may have occurred outside normal operating procedures.
- A need for transparent reporting so future boards and the community can understand what transpired.
The situation places renewed focus on governance and accountability in Greater Victoria’s public education system. With the school year imminent, parents and staff are seeking reassurance that essential programs and services—classroom staffing, student supports and financial administration—will proceed without disruption.
WE NEWS will continue to follow this developing story and report any official responses from the school district, trustees or the provincial ministry of education.
