Board of Education
School District 73 Board of Trustees
2018 - 2022
The key focus for the Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education is improving student achievement. The Board plays an essential role in the public education system by addressing the interests of students through local decision-making with an engaged community.
Top row, from left: Meghan S. Wade (Vice-Chair), John O'Fee, Heather Grieve, Joe Small, Diane Jules
Bottom row, from left: Cara McKelvey, Rhonda Kershaw (Chair), Kathleen Karpuk, Shelley Sim
Meetings and Agendas
The public agendas and minutes of meetings for the Board of Education can be found here.
Board Trustees represent your interests in the public school system
As locally elected representatives, the Board of Education trustees represent the Kamloops-Thompson communities’ particular strengths, challenges and demands. They engage with communities in building and maintaining their local school system to reflect local priorities, values and expectations.
The Board shares a co-governance relationship with the provincial government through the Ministry of Education. The BC School Trustees Association supports the board in this relationship.
Nine trustees are elected to serve on the Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education every four years
Elections of trustees, in a general school election, are held every four years, on the third Saturday of October in that year. The last general election was in 2018, and the next one will be in 2022. Once elected, the nine trustees on the Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education vote to choose their Chair and their Vice-Chair.
| HEATHER GRIEVE |
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Serving her first term as trustee, Heather serves as the board liaison for the following:
Is a member of the following committees:
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| DIANE JULES |
A first-term trustee, Diane represents TNRD Areas L and P, the Village of Chase and the Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks. She serves as the board liaison for the following:
Diane is a member of the following committees:
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| KATHLEEN KARPUK |
Kathleen is serving her fourth term as a trustee. She currently sits as Chair of the Finance and Planning Committee. As well, she serves on the First Nations Education Council and the First Nations Advisory Committee. She also sits on the City of Kamloops Diversity Committee. Kathleen currently represents the Board as a Provincial Council Representative for the BC School Trustee's Association. Previously she has served as Vice-Chair of the Board, was on the Education Committee, was the CUPE Labour Liaison for the Board, was a member of Make Children First and Vice-Chair of the Mayor's Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities. Kathleen is the Office Manager for Aberdeen Chiropractic Clinic. She and her husband, Stephen, have three young children. Kathleen serves as the board liaison for the following schools:
Is a member of the following committees:
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| RHONDA KERSHAW (CHAIR) |
Rhonda serves as the board liaison for the following:
Is a member of the following committees:
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| CARA MCKELVEY |
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Cara is serving her third term as a trustee, representing the rural areas, Savona and Logan Lake. She is active in her community of Savona and at her children's school and enjoys coaching school and community sports teams. Cara and her husband have lived in Savona for 18 years and have two school-aged children. She also works part-time at Morelli Chertkow LLP. Cara serves as the board liaison for the following:
Is a member of the following committees:
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| JOHN O'FEE |
This is John's fourth term as Trustee, having served three terms between 1988 and 1996. A lawyer and lecturer at Thompson Rivers University, he returns to the board with a comprehensive range of board experiences that include four terms as a Kamloops City Councillor (1999-2011), CEO with Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc (2011-2013), Interior Health Authority (2016-2017, and the TRU Foundation (1996-2005). He currently sits on Health Professions Review Board of BC. A long time resident of Kamloops, John is a graduate of Norkam Secondary and holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Sauder School of Business, UBC) and a Juris Doctor (Allard School of Law, UBC) and was appointed as Queen's Counsel. John serves as the board liaison for the following:
John is a member of the following committees:
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| SHELLEY SIM |
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Shelley is a second-term trustee representing the rural communities of Clearwater, Area A and Area O and is chair of the Education Committee. Additionally, Shelley is serving her third term as a councillor for the District of Clearwater, where she has been chair of the Economic Development Committee and Parks and Recreation. She was a PAC chair for more than six years at both the secondary and elementary school levels. Shelley brings more than 15 years of business experience and a dedication to next generation education to her role as a trustee. Shelley serves as the board liaison for the following:
Is a member of the following committees:
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| JOSEPH SMALL |
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Joe's educational career started in 1978 when he moved his young family from Winnipeg, Manitoba up to Snow Lake, Manitoba to accept a Grade 7 classroom position. In 1996, he and his wife, Pat, moved to Kamloops as he accepted his first administrative assignment as vice-principal of Parkcrest Elementary. This was followed by principalships at Pinantan Elementary, Pacific Way Elementary, Summit Elementary, and Arthur Stevenson Elementary. Joe serves as the board liaison for the following:
Is a member of the following committees:
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| MEGHAN S. WADE (VICE-CHAIR) |
Meghan is serving her fourth term as a trustee. She has called Kamloops home since 1989. Married to Bill, they have one daughter who graduated from NorKam with an International Baccalaureate Diploma in June 2014. Meghan serves as the board liaison for the following:
Is a member of the following committees:
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The Board controls governance and policy
The Ministry of Education sets the general direction for K-12 education, including the curriculum, funding amounts and the legal framework within which the Board operates. The Board is responsible for governing the school district in accordance with the policy direction established by government.
The structure of the school district mirrors the model of the Ministry of Education. Trustees are the political wing and control governance and policy. Day-to-day operations of the school district are delegated to the Superintendent and other district staff, including the Secretary Treasurer and Assistant Superintendents. The Board sets overall direction of the District, and decisions are made by vote.
The respective responsibilities of each are detailed in the School Act, which outlines the primary functions of the Board, including
- Setting local policy for effective and efficient operation of schools
- Employing the staff necessary for school district operations
- Establishing conditions of employment for employees
- Preparing and approving the District’s operating budgets and capital plans
- Hearing appeals from parents and students
View from SD73: Trustee Columns
The trustee column, A View from SD73 is published on the first Wednesday of each month by Kamloops This Week. Read more here.
In addition to regular board meetings, much of the work done by the Board of Education involves committees
Committees are essential in the helping the Board achieve its goals. Working through committee means assembling people, facilitating debate on important issues, and creating effective forums for decision making. The Board participates in eight internal committees and four external ones.
Internal Committees
- Board Standing Committees - All trustees are able to attend, or may choose to sit more formally as a committee of a whole on these standing committees.
- Contractual Committees - Only trustees named or appointed to contractual committees may attend these meetings, which address issues of concern to employee groups.
External Committees
The Board has been invited to participate in several committees. Trustees represent the Board as a whole on these committees.
Board Standing Committees
Committees of the Board reporting to the Board to vet issues in five specific areas. All Trustees may attend and the Board may choose to sit more formally as a Committee of the Whole.
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Policy Committee |
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Trustees: Joseph Small (Chair); Cara McKelvey; Kathleen Karpuk Alternate: Shelley Sim Staff: Rhonda Nixon; Kelvin Stretch |
| Finance & Planning Committee |
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Trustees: Shelley Sim (Chair); John O’Fee; Diane Jules Alternate: Meghan Wade Staff: Rhonda Nixon; Kelvin Stretch |
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Audit Committee |
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Trustees: Rhonda Kershaw (Chair); Meghan Wade (Vice-Chair); Shelley Sim Alternate: McInulty (Member at Large) Staff: Rhonda Nixon; Kelvin Stretch |
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Education Committee of the Whole |
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Trustees: Meghan Wade (Chair); All Trustees Alternate: Shelley Sim Staff: Rhonda Nixon |
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Student Advisory Council |
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Trustees: Heather Grieve; Shelley Sim Alternate: Cara McKelvey Staff: Rick Kienlein |
Contractual Committees
Committees covered in contact with employee groups. Only those Trustees named, or their appointed alternate may attend.
| KTTA Joint Labour Liaison Committee |
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Trustees: Heather Grieve; Shelley Sim Alternate: Meghan Wade Staff: Shayne Olsen |
| CUPE Labour Management Committee |
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Trustees: Cara McKelvey Alternate: Joseph Small Staff: Shayne Olsen |
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Step 4 Grievance Committee |
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Trustees: John O’Fee Alternate: Meghan Wade Staff: Kelvin Stretch |
External Committees
Committees of other entities in which the Board has been invited to participate. Trustees to represent the Board as a Whole on these Committees.
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Aboriginal Education Council Committee |
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Trustees: Diane Jules Alternate: Rhonda Kershaw |
| District Parent Advisory Council Committee |
| Trustees: Rhonda Kershaw; Cara McKelvey |
| Industry Advisory Committee |
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Trustees: Joseph Small |
| Literacy in Kamloops Committee |
| Trustees: Joseph Small |
Community Liaisons
| District of Barriere |
| Trustees: Rhonda Kershaw |
| District of Clearwater |
| Trustees: Shelley Sim |
| District of Logan Lake |
| Trustees: Cara McKelvey |
| Village of Chase |
| Trustees: Diane Jules |
| Municipality of Sun Peaks |
| Trustees: Diane Jules |
| City of Kamloops |
| Trustees: Kathleen Karpuk; Joseph Small; Heather Grieve; Meghan Wade; John O’Fee |
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