Mills seeks BSD trustee seat with renewed confidence

In the weeks leading up to Thursday’s Brandon School Division trustee byelection, the Sun has interviewed the seven candidates on their platforms and why they are running. This is the last profile of the series.

Bonnie-Lynn Mills is once again putting her name forward for a seat on the school board — this time with a renewed sense of confidence and a focus on student well-being, inclusion and educational quality.

As Brandon voters prepare for Thursday’s byelection, the Habitat for Humanity community engagement manager said she is determined to make a change.

Mills, who contested a trustee byelection in 2020 and ran in the last regular election in 2022, said her continued pursuit of a school board seat reflects her enduring commitment to public education.

“Education is something I feel very strongly about,” she said. “It’s a way I can give back to our community and help behind the scenes on a broader spectrum.”

If elected, she said she will be sworn in under her maiden name, Bonnie-Lynn Boerchers, following a recent personal decision to revert to it.

She said her platform centres around ensuring that students feel supported, represented and safe in their learning environments. Three areas of focus include supporting younger students’ social development, ensuring inclusion and representation, and helping raise educational standards across Manitoba.

Mills, one of seven candidates in the byelection, joins Shawna Mozdzen, Laura Armitage, Michael Grantham, Eren Oleson, Himanshu Shah and Henry Sieklicki in the race for a single trustee seat.

One of her key concerns is the ability of younger students to stay at school during the lunch hour, something she said is critical to their social development and equitable access to school life. “It can be a hindrance for families and even a financial barrier for some students,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for social growth that’s really important in their early years.”

Mills also strongly rejects the idea of book bans, a topic that has become contentious in local education debates.

“No, I don’t support book bans,” she said firmly. “I support our students in being who they are and seeing themselves represented in their school system. That’s important.”

Her third priority is addressing Manitoba’s lagging standardized test scores by ensuring students receive the best possible quality of education. “We need to look at what we can do to bring those scores up and make sure students are getting the best education possible,” she said.

While many candidates have called for increased security measures — including metal detectors — Mills believes the division has shown strong leadership in handling recent safety incidents.

Regarding the sword attack at École secondaire Neelin High School in June and the precautionary hold and secure at Vincent Massey High School on Oct. 3, Mills said she was impressed by the division’s response. “They handled it very well. These were isolated incidents that were managed with care and transparency,” she said.

She opposes the idea of metal detectors, arguing that it would send the wrong message to students and divert limited funds from other critical needs. “If we make our schools feel like prisons, our students are going to act like inmates,” she said. “We can’t afford to do that — financially or psychologically.”

Mills acknowledged that trustees face tough financial decisions every year due to tight provincial funding and limits on local tax increases. While she admits she doesn’t have all the answers, she said she hopes to bring a “fresh set of eyes” to explore creative ways to maximize available resources.

“The budget is large, but the resources are limited,” she said. “We have to be smart and look for opportunities that still benefit students.”

After previous campaigns, Mills said this year feels different.

“In the past, I wasn’t very secure in putting myself out there,” she said. “This time, I’m more confident in who I am and what I bring to the table. I’ve been more vocal about what I believe needs to happen for our students.”

She credits her children, family and friends for their unwavering support, calling them her “strong network” that keeps her motivated.

Polls open Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at various locations across the city. A full list of voting sites is available at brandon.ca.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

» X: @AbiolaOdutola