The Vancouver School Board (VSB), officially the Board of Education of School District No. 39 (Vancouver), is a school district based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A board of nine elected trustees governs this school district that serves the city of Vancouver and the University Endowment Lands.
Board of education
The Vancouver Board of Education is composed of nine elected trustees and a non-voting student trustee. Trustees of the Vancouver School Board are elected under an at-large system.
Current board composition
The elected members of the current board were elected during the 2022 Vancouver municipal election. The board currently consists of the following trustees. Name Party Note Lois Chan-Pedley Green Alfred Chien ABC Vancouver Preeti Faridkot ABC Vancouver Janet Fraser Green Vice chair Victoria Jung Vancouver Liberals Board Chair Suzie Mah COPE Jennifer Reddy OneCity Christopher JK Richardson Independent Freddie Zhang Student trusteeJosh Zhang ABC Vancouver
Past composition VSB trustee elections took place during municipal elections in British Columbia. Since 2014, officials including school board trustees have been elected to four-year terms. Between 1990 and 2011, municipal official were elected to three-year terms. Between 1940 and 1988, municipal official were elected to two-year terms.
On May 6, 1985, provincial education minister Jack Heinrich issued letters of dismissal to all trustees elected in the 1984 election for refusal to submit a budget that comply with spending limits imposed by the Social Credit government. In the subsequent election held on January 30, 1986, COPE trustee candidate won every seats on the board.
On October 17, 2016, the trustees elected in the 2014 election were all removed by provincial Education Minister Mike Bernier for failing to pass a balanced budget. A by-election was held on October 14, 2017, for all vacated trustee seats.
Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell was elected to the board in the 1980 election while she was attending law school at University of British Columbia. She contested the 1983 provincial election as a British Columbia Social Credit Party candidate while serving as Vancouver board chair. (She and her running mate, the future Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen, lost badly to the NDP incumbents in the dual-member electoral district of Vancouver Centre.)
Term Chair NPA COPE NDP Green Vision OneCity ABC Independent 1980–1982 Pauline Weinstein 3 rowspan=6 rowspan=9 rowspan= 13 rowspan= 16 rowspan= 18 1 1982–1984 Kim Campbell 3 1 1984–1985 Pauline Weinstein 4 rowspan=18 1985–1986 Board vacated by the Minister of Education 1986 Pauline Weinstein 0 1986–1988 Ken Denike 2 1988–1990 Bill Brown 1 1 1990–1993 Ian Kelsey 2 1 1993–1996 Ken Denike / Carol McRae 2 rowspan=12 1996–1999 John Cheng / Bill Brown 0 0 1999–2002 Bill Brown / Barbara Buchanan 3 0 2002–2005 Adrienne Montani 1 1 2005–2008 Ken Denike 3 0 2008–2011 Patti Bacchus 2 3 2011–2014 3 1 0 2014–2016 Christopher Richardson 1 0 2016–2017 Board vacated by the Minister of Education 2017–2018 Janet Fraser 2 0 1 2018–2022 1 1 1 2022–2026 Victoria Jung 0 1 2 1 NPA COPE NDP Green Vision OneCity ABC Independent
List of Trustees (since 1984)
Non-Partisan Association (NPA) Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) Vancouver Civic NDP
Vision Vancouver Green Party of Vancouver
ABC Vancouver OneCity Vancouver
Term Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee Trustee 1984–1985 Jonathan Baker Ken Denike Bill Brown Graeme Waymar John Church Gary Onstad Carmela Allevato Pauline Weinstein Phil Rankin 1986 Chris Allnutt Bill Darnell Sadie Kuehnn Charles Ungerleider 1986–1988 Harkirpal Sara Ken Denike Bill Brown Graeme Waymark Carol McRae Marina Navin Robert Poburko Bryan Hannay 1988–1990 Ian Kelsey Anne Beer Craig Hemer Pauline Weinstein 1990–1993 John Cheng Bill Bruneau Gary Onstad Ruth Herman 1993–1996 Ted Hunt Carol McRea Yvonne Brown John Robertson Sandy McCormick Anne Roberts 1996–1999 Barbara Buchanan Bill Yuen Mary Salvino Kambas 1999–2002 Allan Wong Allen Blakey Adrienne Montani 2002–2005 Andrea Reimer Jane Bouey Kevin Millsip Angela Kenyon Noel Herron 2005–2008 Shirley Wong Ken Denike Eleanor Gregory Don Lee Carol Gibson Clarence Hansen Sharon Gregson 2008–2011 Jane Bouey Patti Bacchus Mike Lombardi Ken Clement 2011–2014 Fraser Ballantyne Sophia Woo Rob Wynen Cherie Payne 2014–2016 Christopher JK Richardson Stacy Robertson Penny Noble Janet Fraser Joy Alexander 2017–2018 Lisa Dominato Judy Zaichkowsky Carrie Bercic Estrellita Gonzalez Ken Clement 2018–2022 Oliver Hanson Carmen Cho Jennifer Reddy Lois Chan-Pedley Barb Parrott 2022–2026 Alfred Chien Christopher JK Richardson Preeti Faridkot Victoria Jung Josh Zhang Suzie Mah
Demographics
The Vancouver school district is a large, urban and multicultural school district. , the district provides programs to 54,000 students in kindergarten to grade 12, as well as over 2,000 adults in adult education programs.
In 2014, there were 1,473 international students in Vancouver public schools.Sherlock, Tracy. "B.C. school shutdown has China 'concerned'." Vancouver Sun. September 12, 2014. Retrieved on December 25, 2014.
Seismic upgrading The Ministry of Education launched a seismic upgrading program in March 2005 to upgrade schools all over British Columbia. The program is quoted to cost a total of $1.5 billion. The following schools in the Vancouver School Board are supported to proceed with seismic mitigation in 2015: Killarney Secondary, David Thompson Secondary, Maple Grove Elementary, Lord Tennyson Elementary, Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Elementary, Eric Hamber Secondary, Point Grey Secondary, Renfrew Community Elementary, Sir Alexander Mackenzie Elementary, Waverley Elementary, Edith Cavell Elementary, Prince of Wales Secondary, Templeton Secondary, General Wolf Elementary, David Lloyd George Elementary, and Bayview Community Elementary.
Elementary schools
Admiral Seymour Bayview Britannia Elementary Captain James Cook Elementary Carnarvon Champlain Heights Charles Dickens Chief Maquinna David Livingstone David Lloyd George David Oppenheimer Dr. A.R. Lord Dr. Annie B. Jamieson Dr. George M. Weir Dr. H.N. MacCorkindale Dr. R.E. McKechnie Edith Cavell Elsie Roy Emily Carr False Creek Florence Nightingale General Brock General Gordon Elementary School General Wolfe George T. Cunningham Graham D Bruce Grandview ʔuuqinak’uuh Grenfell Hastings Henry Hudson J.W. Sexsmith John Henderson John Norquay Jules Quesnel Kerrisdale Elementary School L'Ecole Bilingue Laura Secord Lord Beaconsfield Lord Kitchener Lord Nelson Lord Roberts Lord Selkirk Lord Strathcona Lord Tennyson Maple Grove Mount Pleasant Nootka Norma Rose Point School Pierre Elliott Trudeau Elementary School Queen Alexandra Queen Elizabeth Queen Mary Queen Victoria Annex Quilchena Renfrew Shaughnessy Simon Fraser Sir Alexander Mackenzie Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith Sir Guy Carleton Sir James Douglas Sir John Franklin Elementary School wek̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm (formerly named Sir Matthew Begbie) Sir Richard McBride Sir Sandford Fleming Elementary School Sir Wilfred Grenfell Sir Wilfrid Laurier Sir William Osler Sir William Van Horne Southlands šxʷwəq̓ʷəθət Crosstown Elementary Tecumseh Thunderbird šxʷəxʷaʔəs Trafalgar Tyee University Hill Elementary Vancouver Learning Network Elementary Walter Moberly Waverley χpey̓ Elementary (formerly named Sir William MacDonald from 1906–2017)
David Lloyd George Elementary School David Lloyd George Elementary School is an elementary school in the Marpole neighbourhood."For School Data, Source: BC Schools Book ." Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Education January 16, 2006. It holds approximately 427 students in grades K through 7. The school opened in 1921 and was named after David Lloyd George, the British prime minister from 1916 to 1922. The sports teams are called the DLG Hornets and wear purple.
David Oppenheimer Elementary School David Oppenheimer Elementary School opened in 1959 and was named after one of the early mayors of the city, David Oppenheimer. It is located at 2421 Scarboro Avenue, in the Victoria-Fraserview neighbourhood. As of 2016, the school principal is Rosie Finch; the school's sports teams are called the Orcas.
General Gordon Elementary School General Gordon Elementary School is an elementary school that opened in 1912. It was named for British general Charles George Gordon, who was killed at Khartoum in January 1885. It is located at 2268 Bayswater Street. In September 2008, it was selected as one of three schools in a pilot provincially supported "Neighbourhoods of Learning" program.
Lord Tennyson Elementary School Lord Tennyson Elementary School is a French immersion school opened in 1912, named after 19th-century British poet Alfred Tennyson, The 1st Baron Tennyson. It is located at 1936 West 10th Avenue. As of 2022, the school principal is Bruce Salle. Lord Tennyson is a feeder school for Kitsilano Secondary School, where graduates can continue their education in French Immersion.
Nootka Elementary School Nootka Elementary School opened in 1959 as Lord Beaconsfield Annex, but a growing student population led to school status being granted in 1963.Teen swarmings CTV.ca, (July 15, 2005) It is located at 3375 Nootka Street. As of 2025, the current school principal is Scott Hughes and the vice-principal is Amrit Hundal.
Queen Alexandra Elementary School Queen Alexandra Elementary School opened in 1909 and was named for Alexandra of Denmark. It is located at 1300 East Broadway, at the intersection with Clark Drive. It is near Vancouver Community College's Broadway campus, and is easily accessible from VCC–Clark station and Commercial–Broadway station on the SkyTrain. , the school principal is John MacCormack.
Queen Mary Elementary School Queen Mary Elementary School opened in 1915. It is located at 2000 Trimble Street at 4th Avenue in the West Point Grey neighbourhood. As of 2020, the school principal is Megan Davies. The school has a population of about 450 students from grade K-7. Queen Mary Elementary School is on a hill close to Locarno Beach. It has two buildings, a gravel field and two playgrounds. The main red building was a former town hall for the city of Vancouver. It is named for Queen Mary, the wife of George V.
Shaughnessy Elementary School Shaughnessy Elementary School opened in 1920 as Prince of Wales Elementary and Secondary School. In 1960, the current Prince of Wales Secondary School was opened nearby, and the school was renamed after the surrounding Shaughnessy neighbourhood. The school is located at 4250 Marguerite Street, near King Edward Avenue and Granville Street.
Sir Richard McBride Elementary School Sir Richard McBride Elementary School opened in 1911, named after 19th-century politician Richard McBride. It is located at 1300 East 29th Avenue, near Knight Street. The school was built on a hill near a nursery and orchard known as Henry's Farm. As of 2024, the current school principal is Carrie Sleep.
χpey̓ Elementary School