OK, Let's Vote — Mark Olsen
School trustee questionnaire — trustee-v1-2026-09-21
SD22 — Area 1 (Vernon and RDNO Areas B and C)
Submitted September 22, 2026, 10:48 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?

I have 38 years experience in the School District. I have been a Trustee for the district for two terms totalling 8 years service and I am seeking my third term.

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

Student success is the primary focus. Ensuring supports and resources are there to meet student needs. Lobbying for proper funding.

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?

We have established and implemented our strategic plan to monitor student progression. We have had varied success in seeing overall improvement but there is always room for better results. For many reported outcomes we are above the Provincial average.

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.

As a School District, our funding comes almost exclusively from the Provincial government. I have been a proponent of increasing our contingency fund to better protect services if the need arises, providing a form of insurance. There are many factors to consider when faced with budget shortfalls and each service would need to be thoroughly evaluated prior to any decision on continuance. Needs can change over time and every decision must be made considering the effect on student success.

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?

As a District we have prioritized student success with an increased focus on diverse learners and First Nations, which are groups that required additional supports. We measure progress by documenting and evaluating our levels of success at the school level and utilizing reports the Ministry of Education provides.

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

We have various policies that deal with bullying, discrimination and harassment. Respect and acceptance are key elements to our policies. We have seen an increase in students reporting they feel safe and accepted in their schools.

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

One of our key targets is to address the success rates for our Okanagan Indian Band. We have seen improvement over the past few years but we have not achieved all of our goals.

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

Communication with school administration is the first step. Concerns not addressed at the school level can then be directed to the Superintendent. The Superintendent would discuss the situation with the Trustees if required. Many issues are addressed at the school level. As Trustees play a governance role, operational decisions are mostly left to District staff.

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 are very fortunate to have a full department of efficient, certified trades workers which has the effect of lowering our maintenance costs by avoiding contracting out . Recent reports show we have lower maintenance costs than the provincial averages. Our Transportation department, while covering a very large area, is run very efficiently.

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

It is the job of a trustee to oversee the the operations and view it through the lens of governance. The day to day operations are the responsibility of the Superintendent who provides regular updates. We also receive reports from the Ministry of Education which identifies our successes and areas in need of improvement as compared provincially.

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

There are few items that must remain confidential as most decisions are made public. As far as disagreeing with colleagues; in a democratic organization like Boards of Education, discussion and agreement/disagreement are a normal function and occurrence . You voice your opinion and when a decision is required it is put to a vote. It is crucial to the smooth operations of the to support Board decisions. Vote for or against a motion, but support the decision of the Board.

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

My interest is in the efficient operations of the District and success of our students.

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.

Public education is of vital importance to our community and our children. Please get out and vote!