A staff email to principals and vice-principals says that “the senior leadership team” is on leave, though it’s unclear why and for how long.
Most of the Greater Victoria School District’s senior leadership group appears to be on leave as teachers and students are preparing to return to classes in just over a week.
An email to principals and vice-principals that appears to come from Caroline Manders, executive assistant to the superintendent, says that “the senior leadership team,” described as Deb, Katrina, Tom and Sean, is on leave. It’s unclear why and for how long.
In a statement, school board trustees said they are trying to understand what took place at the school district while the trustees were fired for almost 16 months before being reinstated in May. Their statement said there are concerns about the possibility of financial benefits being provided to people who opposed the board’s stance on school police liaison officers and about transactions occurring outside normal operating processes. The statement did not elaborate.
“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 statement said. “Our community deserves complete transparency as to what has occurred.”
The email about the leaves appears to refer to district superintendent Deb Whitten, secretary-treasurer Katrina Stride, deputy superintendent Tom Aerts and associate superintendent Sean Powell.
Two other positions listed for the leadership group on the school district’s website, associate secretary-treasurer and communications specialist, are not mentioned in the email.
Manders and Whitten did not respond to a request to confirm the authenticity of the email.
The province fired all nine trustees in January 2025 during a dispute over the board’s cancellation of the school police liaison program. The trustees challenged their firings in court.
The trustees were reinstated in May after lawyers for the province disclosed text messages between the associate deputy minister of education and child care, Jennifer McCrea, a Victoria police deputy chief, and between McCrea and the special adviser who helped the board develop a safety plan.
The province’s lawyers said they had initially been told by their client that no relevant text messages existed. After the messages came to light, the province’s lawyers withdrew their case.
School board chair Nicole Duncan called it a “complete vindication” and said it showed the government never had a lawful basis to fire the board.
Reached by phone on Friday, Duncan said she could not comment further about the statement.
Sean Hern, a lawyer representing the board, also would not comment.
Asked why the leadership group is on leave, the Ministry of Education and Child Care said it could not comment on school district human resources matters.
The ministry confirmed last month that McCrea was on leave but continues to be an employee of the province.
The board said it hopes the absences of senior leadership do not impede attempts to get answers.
The return to school will not be affected by the absence senior leadership, the board said.
Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association president Carolyn Howe said the situation will not affect schools as the 2026-27 school year approaches. She said that for the people on the front lines in schools — teachers, custodians, principals and others — “our work largely is going to be unaffected.”
“We’ll just be there doing what we always do and getting ready to create a positive start for kids that are coming back in,” Howe said. “I’m quite certain no child will notice that there’s anything going on in the board office.”
Victoria police confirmed that school liaison officers remain in schools.
— With files from Jeff Bell