Three women have joined forces to run for the Sunshine Coast School District No. 46 (SD46) school board this fall.
On Aug. 28, the slate announced their intentions to run for trustee seats in the Central and Lower Coast areas.
Briar Teal Hartwell, Maria Hampvent and Tracy Johannson Uchida share a platform and campaign promises. In an email to Coast Reporter, Hampvent said their three priorities include financial accountability and transparency, parent voice, and removing barriers to diverse educational needs.
In the 2018 election, Hampvent was acclaimed as a trustee for the Central Coast (Area 2). In 2020, she was voted in as the board’s vice chair.
She said she, Hartwell and Uchida decided to collaborate as an unofficial slate and share the campaign costs, citing their shared passions.
“On top of those promises, I’m going to continue the work that I started with anti racism [and] reconciliation. Those are two of the biggest things that I've been working on for four years,” Hampvent told Coast Reporter. She also pointed to her anti-poverty work and petitioning for more funding based on inflation. Hampvent said they want to make sure parent voice is included in the strategic planning that will begin in the new term.
If elected, it would be a first term for both Hartwell and Uchida.
Briar Teal Hartwell is perhaps best known for her work with community schools, running the Nights Alive for Roberts Creek Elementary, working in outdoor ventures including Talaysay Tours and paddling tours, and managing the Gibsons Farmers Market this summer, as well as many outdoor-based volunteer efforts (Dakota Ridge and Search and Rescue among them). She is also a mother of two and stepmom to one. Hartwell seeks to represent the Lower Coast (Area 3).
Hartwell says she has a lot of passion for outdoor education programs, and questions about the equity of having those programs available to only around 20 kids per year. She’s also focussing on supporting students on “the full spectrum of exceptionality” who may move into private schools or homeschooling. Hartwell says she is a big believer in the public school system.
“This is what builds our society and really great citizenry comes from public education,” Hartwell said. “That's what's accessible to all of us. It doesn't matter your income or where you came from, or how long you've been on the Coast. It's supposed to be accessible. And so that's a big piece for me of why get involved and it seems to be linking the parents’ understanding of what's going on inside and finding out where they can actually have a voice and making sure they're aware of it.”
Uchida told Coast Reporter her family moved to the Coast six years ago. She’s a mother of two and a volunteer with the Halfmoon Bay Elementary PAC, and has been a realtor for 14 years. In time, her children will attend Chatelech Secondary School.
“I think in the climate we're living in now, it's hard to have tough conversations. And I want our parent body, our caregivers, our teachers, our kids to be able to say the things that are on their mind without feeling limited. I think I can provide that,” Uchida said, adding that she is at a point in her life where she has accumulated years and experiences.
Of their slate’s platform, Uchida said, “The important part for me is that because there are such diverse needs, whether it's physical, neurodivergent, average, high-performing students, I think we have to really ask how we're supporting our teachers and our EAs to create a successful environment for all students.” She also touched on how the board will now need to budget for adding in a younger pre-school cohort to the K to 12 group, and the responsible ministries.
The SD46 school board is made up of seven trustees, and three Trustee Electoral Areas (TEAs): there is one trustee seat for the Upper TEA (Area 1), three trustees will represent the Central Coast (Area 2), and three for the Lower Coast (Area 3).
So far for the upcoming general election, six of the seven members of the current school board of trustees have publicly put their names forward for re-election. They include Hampvent, Amanda Amaral (chair and Area 2 trustee), Sue Girard (Area 3), Pammila Ruth (Area 3), Stacia Leech (Area 3), and Samantha Haines (Area 1).
