OK, Let's Vote — Kelli Sullivan
School trustee questionnaire — trustee-v1-2026-09-21
SD22 — Area 2 (Coldstream)
Submitted September 22, 2026, 12:13 Pacific; reviewed September 24, 2026.

Published with the candidate's explicit authorization. Answers below are the candidate's own statements, not independently verified outcomes or recorded votes. Original wording retained except normalized whitespace and the marked privacy redaction. Private contact and technical identifiers excluded.

1. What experience and perspective would you bring to the school board?

For the past 20 years, I have been deeply committed to strengthening public education in SD22—through PAC, DPAC, and, most recently, as a trustee. That work has always been grounded in a belief that strong public schools are essential to a healthy, equitable community, and I am eager to continue advancing those values. I bring extensive experience in non‑profit leadership, policy governance, and community‑engaged research, which inform my commitment to stable, transparent governance and consistent, community‑focused decision‑making.

2. What are your three main priorities for the district, and what progress would you want voters to see in your first year?

1. Progress for Indigenous students, students with designations, and children and youth in care, where achievement gaps still run 10 to 20 percentage points below all students. 2. Improvements in literacy and numeracy scores. 3. A contigency reserve of 2% of our operating budget (we are currently at 1.5%).

3. How would you assess whether students are learning and thriving, and what would you do at the board level if outcomes are falling short?

The Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL) provides the Board with detailed, system‑level measures to assess whether students are learning and thriving. In addition to these indicators, we also look at street‑level data—the day‑to‑day evidence emerging from schools, such as attendance patterns, behavioural trends, and feedback from principals, teachers, and students. When outcomes fall short, the Board’s role is to ensure the system has the resources and direction needed to improve. That includes aligning budget allocations with areas of greatest need, because budgets are value statements: they reflect where we choose to focus attention, invest resources, and support change.

4. When needs exceed the available budget, how would you decide what to protect, change or defer? Please explain a trade-off you would be prepared to consider.

When needs exceed the available budget, the strategic plan and the budget consultation process are what guide our decisions. The strategic plan keeps us focused on our long‑term priorities, and consultation helps us understand which programs and services matter most to families, students, and staff. Together, they give us a clear framework for deciding what must be protected, what can be adjusted, and what may need to be deferred. At the Board table, I would focus on protecting the initiatives that directly support student learning, safety, belonging, and well‑being. When trade‑offs are necessary, I would look first for efficiencies or for timelines that can be extended without undermining core services.

5. What would you prioritize to improve access to learning and support for students with disabilities or diverse learning needs, and how would you measure progress?

This past term, we prioritized increasing School‑Based Resource Teacher time and Education Assistant time to better support students with disabilities and diverse learning needs, and that work will continue. We will also continue advocating for adequate, sustainable funding for inclusive education so schools have the staffing and resources required to meet student needs.

6. What board policies or oversight would you prioritize for student safety, belonging and well-being, including responses to bullying and discrimination?

Our Strategic Framework is now embedded in Board policy, grounding our work in the values of trust and respect, equity, personal growth, and inclusion. These commitments shape our oversight of student safety, belonging, and well‑being. Key Board policies—Resolving Concerns and Complaints, Anti‑Racism and Discrimination, and the District’s Student Code of Conduct—provide clear expectations for behaviour and structured processes for addressing bullying and discrimination. We monitor student human and social development, including whether students feel welcomed, safe, and connected, through our continuous improvement cycle. These measures are reviewed annually through the Framework for Enhancing Student Learning (FESL) to ensure our policies and system supports are effectively meeting student needs.

7. How would you work with local First Nations and Indigenous families on Indigenous student success and the district's education responsibilities?

This past term, our Board and OKIB Chief and Council established regular governance‑to‑governance meetings. These meetings have been an important way to strengthen relationships and work collaboratively on priorities related to Indigenous student success. We also added Indigenous Education Governance as a standing item on our Regular Board Meeting agenda, which includes updates on the Indigenous Education Council (IEC), the Local Education Agreement (LEA), and other key areas of shared responsibility. In 2025, we signed a new LEA with OKIB, reaffirming our commitments and expectations. Our budget consultation process also includes dedicated conversations with Indigenous partners to ensure their perspectives inform district planning and resource decisions.

8. How would students, parents/caregivers and staff meaningfully influence board decisions, including people who do not usually attend meetings?

One of the core responsibilities of a school trustee is to be a local voice for public education, which means engaging regularly with students, parents/caregivers, staff, and the broader community. Over the past term, I’ve attended PAC and DPAC meetings, met with partner groups and students, and participated in community events—including Pride, Indigenous cultural gatherings, and local non‑profit initiatives. I also advocated for strengthening our Board’s budget consultation process to support deeper public engagement. I share highlights from every public Board meeting on my trustee Facebook page to make our work more accessible to people who may not attend meetings. This is how I have represented the community throughout my term, and how I will continue to represent it moving forward.

9. How would you approach school space, maintenance, transportation or other capital and service pressures in your district? Which choices can the board make, and which need provincial support?

We manage space and service pressures by finding efficiencies where we can. Our in‑house carpentry team has created meaningful cost savings, and we’ve prioritized electric buses while maintaining one of the shortest walk limits in the province to support student access. The Board can make decisions about efficiencies and service levels, but major capital projects and long‑term infrastructure needs require provincial support.

10. How would you oversee the superintendent and monitor the strategic plan while respecting the boundary between governance and day-to-day school operations?

We do this through effective Policy Governance. Clear policies define the Board’s expectations and the superintendent’s responsibilities, allowing us to monitor progress and hold the system accountable while maintaining the proper boundary between governance and day‑to‑day operations.

11. How would you keep decisions transparent and remain accountable to the public, including when you disagree with colleagues or must protect confidential information?

I believe strongly that the Board’s business should be conducted in public unless it involves land, labour, or legal matters that must be handled in camera. This past term, we moved all of our policy work and other in‑depth discussions to the Committee of the Whole, and those meetings are also open to the public. This approach helps keep our decision‑making transparent and ensures we remain accountable to the community while still protecting confidential information when required.

12. What interests or affiliations should voters know about, and how would you identify and manage potential conflicts of interest?

No answer supplied.

Additional material: Is there anything else voters should know, or a public source supporting your answers? If you already completed the general questionnaire, you may identify an existing answer you want retained instead of repeating it.

No answer supplied.