The following are candidates' responses to the following questions: Incumbents only: With School District 43's recent difficulties, which resulted in $13.4 million in cost cutting, and a forensic audit noting lack of control and monitoring resulted in a deficit in 2012/'13, why should anyone vote for you, an incumbent who was on the board when it happened? To non-incumbents only: If you are elected, what issue would you bring to the board's attention? To all: What is your reason for running for school trustee? Also: Do you think there is enough transparency about what goes on in the school district? If not, how would you change it?
Business woman, school trustee for 21 years, Coquitlam resident
Deficit issue: "We didn't really learn about the issues for a while. Then, upon learning about the problems, we did take immediate action, which followed up with a motion for a review done with a forensic audit with KPMG. They came up with 14 resolutions [and] we have been working on implementing those, and half were worked on or [we're] starting [to work on them]."
Why run: "I feel I'm now better informed and I know a better direction the board can go in watching the budget more closely because I have the experience in knowing what we weren't doing and what we need to do going ahead."
Transparency: "I think by revisiting how we do the budget process - it's the whole month of April - and I think that has brought a lot of transparency not only to the public but to the schools on how the budget is allocated."
