'It's embarrassing and ridiculous': Father calls for dissolution of western Manitoba school board

A Métis father of two says the continued controversy surrounding a western Manitoba school board has left his family feeling alienated and he worries it will affect the education his children receive. 

"It's embarrassing and ridiculous. It is absolutely appalling and disappointing as a whole. I think it reflects poorly not only on my community but it reflects poorly on our society," said Chris Lark, who lives in Dauphin. "It's really disheartening."

Lark says he's concerned the Mountain View School Division board, which is in charge of the division's purse strings and policies, is focused on non-education-related issues instead of students' success.

A byelection to fill four trustee seats is scheduled for Oct. 30.

The school board has been under provincial scrutiny since April, when trustee Paul Coffey gave a board meeting presentation saying residential schools began as a good thing and called the term "white privilege" racist. Two months later, the province established an oversight committee to watch over the board. 

However, issues continued.

In mid-September, four trustees voted — despite not having enough trustees at the meeting to make formal decisions — to ban all but Canadian, Manitoba and school flags. This happened after the trustees butted heads with the province's oversight panel.

Mountain View School Division oversees 16 schools in an area that stretches west to the Saskatchewan border and east to Dauphin Lake and Winnipegosis, with Riding Mountain and Assessippi parks along its southern border and Duck Mountain to the north. 

Lark isn't the only community member concerned about the ongoing controversies. 

He says at this point it's clear the current board members are unwilling to change, and he'd like to see the province dissolve the board. 

"This is exhibiting very childish and petty and mean … behaviour," Lark said. "My thoughts now have changed from let's help these people learn to let's get rid of the board."

A person who works in the school division, whose identity CBC News is protecting because they fear losing their job, says students are also upset and fearful about the school board. 

One young Indigenous student worried that Coffey's presentation about residential schools meant the board was in support of reinstating them. 

"It breaks my heart that I can't tell them with confidence that they're protected," the worker said.