School District 43's new board takes office, with the four Coquitlam trustees' first regular meeting on November 24
Nine trustees took the oath of office on November 3 at the SD43 inaugural board meeting. The four elected by Coquitlam voters made specific commitments on school buildings, inclusion and mental health.
Long read. The subject the most local outlets covered that day, with the public record behind it. Every outlet and record is linked under the story. Read the original report on media.sd43.bc.ca.
Nine trustees of School District 43 (Coquitlam) took the oath of office on November 3, 2026, at the Education Learning Centre on Winslow Avenue in Coquitlam. The swearing-in was administered by Judge Diba Majzub, according to the Board's inaugural meeting agenda. The meeting began at 7:00 pm with a welcome to the territory from Chief Ron Giesbrecht of the Kwikwetlem First Nation.
The four trustees elected by Coquitlam voters join five others from Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, and the villages of Anmore and Belcarra on the nine-member board. The board also elected its Chair and Vice-Chair at the November 3 meeting; those results have not been published on the district's website as of November 7.
Who Coquitlam elected
The City of Coquitlam's Chief Election Officer declared the official results on October 21, 2026. Nine candidates ran for the four Coquitlam seats on the SD43 board.
The four elected, with their official vote counts:
- Craig Woods: 15,763 votes
- Rosey Manhas: 12,684 votes
- Candace Knoll: 10,599 votes
- Chuck Denison: 9,446 votes
Craig Woods and Rosey Manhas are returning trustees. Candace Knoll and Chuck Denison are new to the board.
What Craig Woods promised
Craig Woods made student inclusion his central commitment. On VoteMate, he promised to keep advocating for more educational assistants and classroom supports for students with diverse learning needs, citing what he described as his strong advocacy for more educational assistant support in his previous term. Freshet News reported on September 8, 2026 that increasing support for students is his top issue.
His second priority, as reported by Freshet News, is keeping education resources in the classroom, protecting classroom staffing and continuity for students and teachers. The Tri-Cities Dispatch's September 24 roundup of trustee candidates recorded the same commitment.
On student mental health, Woods promised to keep supporting partnerships that connect students and families with mental health and wellness services beyond school, and said he advocated for Foundry Tri-Cities in his previous term. His third priority, as reported by Freshet News, is improving board accountability through meaningful consultation, more district communication and transparent board processes.
On AI in schools, Woods told Freshet News the technology should be used with guardrails and safety measures in place. On VoteMate, he promised to support teaching students to use AI and new technology effectively and responsibly, without replacing foundational skills such as critical thinking.
His full list of commitments is on the Coquitlam promise tracker.
What Candace Knoll promised
Candace Knoll made school facilities one of her main areas. On her campaign site and in Freshet News reporting from September 30, 2026, she committed to keeping the Hazel Trembath Elementary replacement and the Burke Mountain Secondary project on track to minimize disruption for families. She also committed to advocating for approval of Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary School and Marigold Elementary, and to keeping those projects on schedule for Burke Mountain families.
Knoll made a broader infrastructure commitment: a funding model that secures land for schools before high-rises are built, working with municipal partners to integrate school infrastructure with city planning. She also committed to pushing for funding to modernize heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, citing the Moody Elementary modernization with solar and heat pumps as a model.
On special education, Knoll told Freshet News her top issue is safety on the way to and from school, and she committed to working with the City on traffic calming, pedestrian walkways and bus route safety in high-risk zones near schools. She also committed to timely assessments to end special education waitlists, and to competitive pay and workplace supports to recruit and retain specialists and support staff.
Knoll committed to pushing for stable, full-day positions for education assistants to cut turnover in support roles, and to lobbying the Province for an intensity-of-need funding structure that would give SD43 dedicated money for complex learning needs, mental health resources and language supports.
Her full list of commitments is on the Coquitlam promise tracker.
What Rosey Manhas promised
Rosey Manhas returned to the board after her previous term. On her campaign site, she committed to advocating for the expansion of schools and classrooms to match the growing student population, noting her involvement in the development of Burke Mountain's schools. The Tri-Cities Dispatch's September 24, 2026 roundup of trustee candidates reported the same pledge.
On inclusion, Manhas told Freshet News she will continue advocating for adequate supports, specialized staff, accessible learning environments and meaningful collaboration with families, so every student can participate and learn in a way that recognizes their strengths and needs.
On AI, she told Freshet News the technology can support learning and help teachers meet different needs, but should support teachers and students without replacing human connection, and that students must learn to use it responsibly, ethically and effectively.
Her full list of commitments is on the Coquitlam promise tracker.
Chuck Denison
Chuck Denison is new to the board. No campaign pledge for the term was found during research.
What comes next
The board's first regular meeting after the inauguration is scheduled for November 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Education Learning Centre, 1080 Winslow Avenue, Coquitlam. The agenda has not been published yet.
Meetings are livestreamed via MS Teams. Residents who want to speak can review the Guidelines for Delegations on the district website at sd43.bc.ca. Agendas are posted before each meeting at the board meeting agendas and minutes page.
The promise tracker at /bc/coquitlam-2026/tracker will record each board vote as it relates to what the Coquitlam trustees committed to during the campaign.
Questions this story answers
When was the SD43 Board of Education sworn in?
The nine trustees of School District 43 (Coquitlam) took the oath of office on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 7:00 pm at the Education Learning Centre, 1080 Winslow Avenue, Coquitlam. The swearing-in was administered by Judge Diba Majzub, according to the Board's inaugural meeting agenda.
Who are the four Coquitlam school trustees elected in October 2026?
According to the City of Coquitlam's official election results declared on October 21, 2026, the four trustees elected by Coquitlam voters for School District 43 are Craig Woods (15,763 votes), Rosey Manhas (12,684 votes), Candace Knoll (10,599 votes) and Chuck Denison (9,446 votes). They sit on the Board alongside trustees from Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, and the villages of Anmore and Belcarra.
When is the first SD43 board meeting after the inauguration?
The first regular Board of Education meeting after the November 3 inauguration is scheduled for November 24, 2026 at 7:00 pm, at the Education Learning Centre, 1080 Winslow Avenue, Coquitlam. The agenda has not been published yet. Meetings are livestreamed via MS Teams; the link is at sd43.bc.ca.
What did Craig Woods promise on school inclusion?
According to his VoteMate profile and Freshet News reporting, Craig Woods promised to keep advocating for more educational assistants and classroom supports for students with diverse needs, to support earlier identification and assessment of student needs, and to build partnerships that connect students with mental health services beyond school, including Foundry Tri-Cities. He said increasing support for students is his top issue.
What did Candace Knoll promise about school buildings?
According to her campaign site and Freshet News reporting, Candace Knoll promised to keep the Hazel Trembath Elementary replacement and the Burke Mountain Secondary project on track, to advocate for approval of Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary School and Marigold Elementary, and to champion a funding model that secures land for schools before high-rises are built. She also committed to push for funding to modernize heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
What did Rosey Manhas promise about growing schools?
According to her campaign site and the Tri-Cities Dispatch's September 24, 2026 roundup, Rosey Manhas promised to advocate for the expansion of schools and classrooms to match the growing student population, noting her involvement in the development of Burke Mountain's schools. She also committed to advocating for adequate supports and specialized staff for students with extra needs.
How can residents watch or attend SD43 board meetings?
SD43 board meetings are open to the public and are held at Room B104 of the Education Learning Centre, 1080 Winslow Avenue, Coquitlam. Meetings are also livestreamed via MS Teams. The November 24 regular meeting starts at 7:00 pm. Residents who want to speak at a meeting can review the Guidelines for Delegations on the district's website at sd43.bc.ca.
What school building projects did the Coquitlam trustees commit to?
According to her campaign site and Freshet News reporting from September 30, 2026, Candace Knoll committed to keeping the Hazel Trembath Elementary replacement and the Burke Mountain Secondary project on track, to advocating for approval of Burke Mountain Middle/Secondary School and Marigold Elementary, and to pushing for a funding model that secures land for schools before high-rises are built. Rosey Manhas also committed, according to her campaign site and the Tri-Cities Dispatch's September 24, 2026 roundup, to advocating for the expansion of schools and classrooms to match the growing student population, noting her involvement in developing Burke Mountain's schools.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- School District No. 43 (Coquitlam), Board of Education Inaugural Meeting Agenda, November 3, 2026media.sd43.bc.ca
- School District No. 43, Board meeting agendas and minutes pagesd43.bc.ca
- City of Coquitlam, Declaration of Official Election Results, October 21, 2026coquitlam.ca
- Freshet News, Craig Woods, Coquitlam school board candidate, September 30, 2026freshetnews.ca
- Freshet News, Candace Knoll, Coquitlam school board candidate, September 30, 2026freshetnews.ca
- Freshet News, Rosey Manhas, Coquitlam school board candidate, September 30, 2026freshetnews.ca
- Tri-Cities Dispatch, Meet the school trustee candidates in Coquitlam, by Jeremy Shepherd, September 24, 2026tricitiesdispatch.com
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