Aurora Votes 2018: Adams-Luchowski seeks second full term as public school trustee

October 17, 2018 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

Peter Adams-Luchowski is seeking a second full term representing Aurora-King at the York Region District School Board.
The long-time incumbent, who previously represented Richmond Hill, has represented Aurora for a term-and-a-half, coming in midway through the 2010 – 2014 cycle following the resignation of Aurora’s then-representative.
This is experience Mr. Adams-Luchowski says will come in handy as the Board (YRDSB) forges ahead over the next four years after significant change over the past two.
“We hired a new director this year and started a new multi-year plan,” says Mr. Adams-Luchowski. “There will be some turnover on the board this year that we’re aware of [with representatives not seeking re-election] and a little experience might be good for the long-term things, for guidance, and a little bit of history to help stay true to our beliefs.”
If re-elected next Monday, October 22, the candidate says one of his main concerns will be focusing on growth and increasing school enrolment in Aurora’s northeast in the Bayview Avenue and St. John’s Sideroad corridors.
“There are too many elementary school students up in the neighbourhood of St. John’s and Bayview to fill in the schools that are existing,” he says. “Some of them have to be reassigned and we have kids going to Aurora Grove and, I believe, Devin’s Drive where there is space. Because we have those spaces, the ministry hasn’t approved the new school that is supposed to go up there at Bayview and St. John’s. For the time being, that is a challenge because kids are getting bussed and could probably walk if there was space. That is the reality: we have space that has to be used before the Ministry will approve extra space.”
While he says he will keep a close eye on growth in this area, he is not yet planning to bring forward any new initiatives that are specific to Aurora and King, outside of what is already in the works. Sustainability is an ongoing issue, he says, and there have been “a lot of new things” implemented in the past year or two that have been coupled with increased overheads.
“We have embraced a new equity policy and we have new programs to be rolled up, IB (International Baccalaureate) and there is still so much work that has to be done,” he says. “I would like to see the success of the already started new programs before venturing into more new programs.
“There isn’t a single day that I hadn’t put students ahead of everything else in my work at the School Board. Over the last couple of years, there has been more and more focus on parents and adults, and sometimes the conversations stray away from the kids or students that we’re trying to support. I would like people to know that is my thing: I take on co-op students in my business, coach football, get involved with young people outside of schools, but they give me the opportunity to find out what school life is really about.”