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Changes at top of district parent advisory council

New person to lead group to keep an eye on local education

There will be a new spokesperson for parents in the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows School District this year.

Kim Dumore replaces Kellie Marquet as the president of the District Parent Advisory Council.

Dumore has been the DPAC vice-president for two years. She has a daughter going into Grade 7 at Laity View Elementary, and has been involved with that school in various projects, including food bank program, playground fundraising and earthquake preparedness.

“I am very passionate about kids and schools and education,” she said. “I have been serving on the PAC at Laity View for six out of the eight years my daughter will have attended Laity View.”

Her goal as DPAC chair is to get more involvement and unity between each school’s PAC, and hopes to host forums on fundraising ideas, sharing resources and supplies for events, and sharing policies and bylaws.

“We would love to have greater involvement with reps from a larger percentage of schools,” she said. “We are working to have DSAC [District Student Advisory Council] more involved this year, and our work continues on implementing a district wide emergency preparedness plan.”

Marquet served three years as president, and is moving to Penticton. She feels she’s leaving the DPAC in good hands.

“It’s nice to leave a team stronger than you found it,” she said, and added that the leadership group is particularly strong.

“They’re an intelligent group of ladies who are great advocates for kids.”

Their biggest challenge in years to come will be coping with declining enrolments and funding cuts, said Marquet.

Dumore agrees, and said the erosion of clerical and custodial support in schools is another major concern.

“Kellie has been a driving force behind DPAC for many years and provided great inspiration to the newer members of the executive team to be more involved and informed in our SD42 education system,” she said.

 



Neil Corbett

About the Author: Neil Corbett

I have been a journalist for more than 30 years, the past decade with the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News.
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