Hopefuls to become New Westminster School Board trustees have begun putting their names forward beginning, with a name from last year's ballot.
David Phelan, a Coquitlam teacher and former candidate for the spot in 2008, announced his candidacy on Monday.
Phelan said he plans to run on a message of collaboration.
"We have a lot of people very interested in our school system. It is important to bring all of these stakeholders together and do what is best for our students," he said in a press release.
Phelan said specific issues in the upcoming campaign will be the capital projects and their impact on the community.
"The construction of our new schools is the biggest issue in our district, and is extremely important for the city as a whole. The new schools will solve many of the problems that have come up in the last few years, including overcrowding and the inability of high-demand programs to expand. These projects will impact our community and students for many generations so we need to make sure we do this properly," he said.
Phelan said he has earned high marks on his ability to work with people with varying viewpoints and backgrounds and he his highly regarded by those he works with.
Rob Zambrano, principal of Centennial School in Coquitlam, offered words of support for Phelan's run.
"In his role as school action co-ordinator, dave has undertaken a variety of initiatives that have improved school culture at Centennial, and his work has strengthened the bonds between our students, teachers, parents and community," he said.
In addition to being a teacher, Phelan is also a father, volunteer and assistant minor hockey coach.
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