--- title: "School District 43's new board takes office, with the four Coquitlam trustees' first regular meeting on November 24" description: "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." canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/coquitlam-2026/news/sd43-new-board-coquitlam-trustees-november-2026" last_updated: "2026-11-07T17:29:29.877Z" --- 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](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/craig-woods): 15,763 votes - [Rosey Manhas](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/rosey-manhas): 12,684 votes - [Candace Knoll](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/candace-knoll): 10,599 votes - [Chuck Denison](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/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](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/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](/bc/coquitlam-2026/tracker). ## What Candace Knoll promised [Candace Knoll](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/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](/bc/coquitlam-2026/tracker). ## What Rosey Manhas promised [Rosey Manhas](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/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](/bc/coquitlam-2026/tracker). ## Chuck Denison [Chuck Denison](/bc/coquitlam-2026/candidates/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](https://www.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](/bc/coquitlam-2026/tracker) will record each board vote as it relates to what the Coquitlam trustees committed to during the campaign. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/bc/coquitlam-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.