Greater Victoria's school board wanted to undo the ward system. It found it couldn't.

The reinstated SD61 trustees voted unanimously on July 20 to revise their election bylaw for a ward-style system, after acknowledging they had no power to reverse it.

Education Minister Lisa Beare approved the electoral-area plan in January, before the trustees returned. The recommendation came from Sherri Bell, the appointed official trustee who ran the board after the nine elected trustees were removed in a fight over the school police-liaison program.

Board chair Nicole Duncan called it "very concerning" that Bell was not elected and pushed the change through quickly, noting the task force met only four times. Trustee Diane McNally said it seemed "procedurally odd" that an unelected person could petition the minister for legislative changes.

Under the new model, the board stays at nine trustees across seven areas: Victoria and Saanich elect two each, while the Songhees Nation, Esquimalt Nation, Esquimalt, Oak Bay and Highlands/View Royal each elect one. Esquimalt hasn't had a trustee in over 25 years, the reason Coun. Tim Morrison and others pushed for the change in 2024.