The Coast Mountains school board has chosen Terrace trustee Art Erasmus as its new board chair, in a vote held Dec. 8 in Vancouver, where trustees province-wide met for training.
A former teacher and principal, Erasmus has served on the school board for six years and was the former vice-chair.
“I'm looking forward to it, I think we have a good board,” Erasmus said, noting he is looking forward to seeing through projects already in motion, namely Kitimat and Terrace's new middle school concepts in line for next September. Grade 7 students will attend middle schools with Grade 8 and 9 students while Grade 10 students will join Grade 11 and 12 students at senior schools.
Serving as the new vice-chair will be Terrace trustee Roger Leclerc, a former board chair who returned to the school board after more than a decade away.
Serving as the BC School Trustee Association's provincial councillor will be Kitimat trustee Raymond Raj, with Thornhill trustee Gary Turner serving as the alternate.
Erasmus was voted as the returning BC Public School Employers' association delegate, with Shannon McFee to serve as the alternate.
These appointments follow closely on the heels of the death of last year's board chair and Kitimat trustee Barry Pankhurst, who died suddenly in Vancouver on Dec. 3.
As a result, there will be a byelection for the empty Kitimat seat, which Erasmus expects to take place in February or March.
“We want to get past the memorial service for Barry, and give the family a bit of space to grieve before we get into all of that,” he said.
The new school board for the Coast Mountains school formally took office on Dec. 5.