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Brian Leonard seeks Board of Education seat

Brian Leonard ran for the Board of Education in the January byelection. He is seeking one of the five Township seats on the board.
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Brian Leonard

Brian Leonard is hoping that being seeded second on the ballot for trustee in the Township is a good omen.

"There are some excellent candidates in this race, so it will be  a tough few weeks of campaigning," he said. "With so many running for Township council, the school board election cannot get lost in the shuffle. The make-up of the board for the next three years is going to be critical in providing leadership through the debt repayment process."

Leonard ran for the Board of Education in the January byelection. He is seeking one of the five Township seats on the board.

One of his major issues is the rapid growth in the Willoughby area. He said that, even with one brand new school on the way, it will be by all the indications,  bursting at the seams soon after it opens.

"There has to be a way that all levels of governement can see this coming and plan according," said Leonard. "The whole Routley situtation was extremely unfortunate and left a lot of people jaded by the process.

"Although everyone says the Township has a relationship with the board, it sure didn't feel that way when the Routley situation came to light. That relationship needs to better defined and sustained."

The growth issue in Willoughby contrasts with other areas of Langley that are facing declining enrolment, with the potential for future school closures. Leonard would like to work to find ways to balance this situation out."

" The district needs to look beyond the three-year plan of elminating the debt and focus on the five-year plans and adjust accordingly. Following all the recommendations in the auditor-general's report is the perfect road map to righting the district."

Classroom sizes, providing adaquate support for special needs children, and the funding model that province uses are all issues which affect Langley and all other school districts.

"It is time to take a seat at the community roundtables that have been organized by passionate groups who want to see this district flourish. The future success of  the Langley education system depends on building relationships, not roadblocks."

Leonard is a 20-year Langley resident. He believes a fresh perspective is needed to steer the Langley School District in a new direction.

He can be reached at electbrianleonard@gmail.com, or on Facebook. His website is electbrianleonard.com or he can be reached by phone at 604-319-8516.