Langley School Board swears in five new trustees at inaugural November 3 meeting

The Langley Board of Education held its inaugural meeting on November 3, 2026, swearing in five newly elected Langley Township trustees alongside two City of Langley trustees for a four-year term. The board voted Charlie Fox as its chair and Candy Ashdown as vice-chair, as the Aldergrove Star reported on November 5.

The five Township trustees, all elected on October 17 at large, took their oaths of office in front of an in-person and online audience, according to the Langley School District's own website.

Who was elected and what they received

In the Township's October 17 vote, Charlie Fox led the trustee race with 16,528 votes, followed by Holly Dickinson at 15,287, Neil Turner at 14,945, Candy Ashdown at 13,680 and Kathie Dalziel at 13,501. These figures come from the Township's official results, certified on October 22, 2026.

All five ran under the Langley Strong banner. Fifteen candidates ran for the five Township seats. The Township's total vote count was 34,029 ballots cast from 107,846 eligible voters, according to the official results.

What Fox and Ashdown said at the meeting

Fox, now the board chair, addressed the new term at the meeting. "The past term, we had many accomplishments," he said, as reported by the Aldergrove Star. He pointed to new student spaces among those accomplishments and said the board now faces what he described as a new horizon.

Ashdown, the new vice-chair, followed her mother Diane Pona, who served on the school board for 12 years. "Success is measured not by buildings or budgets, but by students who feel safe, included, and supported, and who leave our schools to feel confident in their futures," Ashdown said at the meeting, as reported by the Aldergrove Star.

The second Indigenous trustee

Kathie Dalziel is the second Indigenous person elected to the Langley school board, according to the Aldergrove Star's report. She thanked voters and those who supported her run. "I firmly believe that education and our children are the heart of building equitable, inclusive, and welcoming communities," she said.

On her Langley Strong page, Dalziel wrote that she will push for parents with a clear line to the board, with parent advisory councils and the District Parent Advisory Council treated as partners. She wrote that as the district grows, it should not get harder for parents to be heard.

Returning trustees and what they carried forward

Holly Dickinson, who was re-elected, thanked family and supporters at the meeting. "We have schools to build, students and staff to advocate for, and community that counts on us," she said, as the Aldergrove Star reported.

Dickinson's main focus coming into the new term, as stated on her Langley Strong page, is new schools in Willoughby and other fast-growing areas, with capacity arriving when the neighbourhood does and without a wait of years.

Neil Turner also returned. Turner said at the meeting that every learner deserves the chance to reach their full potential, calling that the district's mission and his commitment. On his Langley Strong page, Turner wrote that he will push for schools planned before neighbourhoods arrive, with ongoing coordination between the district and local governments, clear enrolment projections and strong provincial investment. Turner thanked his wife, children and grandchildren for their support during the campaign.

What the board said it will work on

The joint land acquisition program is a central item for the new board. Under that program the Township and the school district bought land together for schools, parks and playing fields for more than 30 years. The Township suspended the program in 2025. Ashdown has said she wants to see it restored, with the Board and Township talking early and planning together. This is recorded as a promise in the voche.me promise tracker for Candy Ashdown.

Fox has committed to pushing for school sites secured and school funding sought before new neighbourhoods fill up, working with the Township early in the planning process. That commitment is in the tracker for Charlie Fox.

What comes next

The board's next Regular Board Meeting is scheduled for November 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM, according to the Langley School District's website. After that, the district has a Design and Assessment Day on November 20 and two committee meetings on December 1: an Education and Strategic Plan Meeting and a Finance and Facilities Meeting.

Residents can follow the board's work at sd35.bc.ca, where the district posts news, the meeting schedule and information about its schools.

Those who want to speak to the board on a matter can find contact information for the Board of Trustees at sd35.bc.ca. The district's promise tracker pages on voche.me show every commitment each Township trustee made during the election and whether it has been acted on: see the promise tracker for the Langley Township 2026 election.