School Board · Vancouver 2026

Melanie Cheng

Elected, School Board79,633 votes, 2nd of 31. Preliminary count, City of Vancouver. All results

COPE candidate for the School Board, ballot number 314.

Issue scores

5/10Schools
5/10Governance
1/10Taxes and budget
4/10Public safety
2/10Child care

Out of 10. Each score counts how complete and checkable the published plan is on that issue. Measured October 8, 2026. Rank this race by the issues you care about

Melanie Cheng, ballot number 314 for School Board in Vancouver, COPE. Profile focus: Public school land and Board transparency.

Explore the record Public schedule

Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page

Melanie Cheng, published by the COPE campaign. — Melanie ChengSchool BoardBallot no.314

Promise tracker

49 promises. What Melanie has done since.

Tracked since October 18, 2026. Every change of status links to the vote, motion or report behind it.

No action yetStop the sale and long-term lease of school landSchool land · Own promise
COPE's school board page says Cheng has fought to protect public school land and will continue that work as a trustee. The party's school board platform lists protecting public school land from sale or privatisation.
“Melanie has fought hard to protect public school land, strengthen parent voice, and push for transparency and accountability in decision-making.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: COPE school board candidates and platform (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), @melaniechengofficial on Instagram: Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 4: Capacity Issues and Land-Use Policies (opens in a new tab).
No action yetMore transparency in board decisionsGovernance · Own promise
COPE's page says Cheng will push for transparency and accountability in school board decision-making.
“Melanie Cheng has seen first-hand the need for transparent, accountable decision-making grounded in the needs of students and school communities.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: COPE school board candidates and platform (opens in a new tab), The Tyee: Asked to Improve Transparency, School Board Keeps Private Meetings (opens in a new tab), CityHallWatch: Stealth changes to Vancouver's draft Official Development Plan removed school land protections (opens in a new tab).
No action yetStronger role for parents in decisionsGovernance · Own promise
COPE's page says Cheng will strengthen parent voice in school board decisions.
“Melanie has fought hard to protect public school land, strengthen parent voice, and push for transparency and accountability in decision-making.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: COPE school board candidates and platform (opens in a new tab).
No action yetReopen Sir Guy Carleton ElementarySchool closures · Own promise
Cheng's campaign site says Cheng leads the Save Carleton campaign and wants the school reopened to serve new family housing in Joyce-Collingwood.
“We're really questioning plans that the VSB has to close Carleton.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: melaniecheng.ca: My Journey (opens in a new tab), CityNews Vancouver: Vancouver School Board to hear discussion on closing city's oldest school (opens in a new tab), CBC: Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School (opens in a new tab).
No action yetPause student use of generative AI in schoolsEducation and technology · Own promise
Cheng supports pausing the school district's rollout of generative AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot 13+, until clear policies and safeguards are in place, and pausing student use of AI chatbots until the district completes a public review of their effects. COPE's party position, reported by The Tyee, is the same.
“I support pausing the VSB’s district-wide rollout of generative AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot 13+, until clear policies and safeguards are in place.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Tyee: Where Do Vancouver Parties Stand on AI? (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 2: Generative AI in Schools (opens in a new tab).
No action yetChildcare on and around school sitesChildcare · Own promise
Cheng's campaign site lists childcare as a core issue and says Cheng stood up for childcare while chairing the district parent advisory council.
“As past Chair of Vancouver DPAC, I stood up for child care, built parent power, and demanded decisions that put kids first.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: melaniecheng.ca: Melanie Cheng campaign home page (opens in a new tab), CityHallWatch: When new family housing comes without childcare: a warning sign (opens in a new tab), CBC: Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), melaniecheng.ca: 70% Increase in School-Age Child Care Fees in Vancouver (opens in a new tab).
No action yetProperly funded inclusive educationEducation · Own promise
Cheng says that, as a trustee, she will advocate for properly funded inclusive education, the support for students with disabilities and different learning needs.
“properly funded inclusive education”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
No action yetMore mental health and counselling support for studentsEducation · Own promise
Cheng says she will advocate for stronger mental health and teacher counselling support for students.
“stronger mental-health and teacher-counselling support”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
No action yetMusic, arts, sports and recreation programs in schoolsEducation · Own promise
Cheng says she will advocate for thriving music, arts, sports and recreation programs. On Instagram on October 1, 2026 she wrote that music was cut back in schools this year, with 39 teacher reallocations, and that trustees should look for ways to stop the cuts.
“thriving music, arts, sports and recreation programs”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), @melaniechengofficial on Instagram: Instagram post on music cuts in schools, October 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab).
No action yetAccessible meetings and participatory budgetingGovernance · Own promise
Cheng says she will work for open and democratic school board decisions through accessible meetings, participatory budgeting, where the public helps decide spending, and consultation before decisions are made.
“I will champion transparent, democratic governance through accessible meetings, participatory budgeting and meaningful consultation before decisions are made.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF) (opens in a new tab).
No action yetStop school closures, subdivisions and sales of school landEducation · Own promise
Cheng says Vancouver needs coordinated planning for enrolment growth, child care and community programs instead of more school closures, subdivisions of school sites or sales of school land.
“not more closures, subdivisions or sell-offs”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), @melaniechengofficial on Instagram: Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 4: Capacity Issues and Land-Use Policies (opens in a new tab).
No action yetUpdate the district long-range facilities plan with public consultationEducation · Own promise
In a March 2026 post on her campaign site, Cheng called for the school board to update its long-range facilities plan, the plan the Province requires before it funds school buildings, with public consultation and enrolment forecasts that match the City's new housing.
“If Vancouver is serious about complete communities, we must plan for both homes and classrooms.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: melaniecheng.ca: Growth Without Classrooms: Vancouver's School Planning Crisis (opens in a new tab), The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 4: Capacity Issues and Land-Use Policies (opens in a new tab).
No action yetPress the Province to fund school construction and seismic upgradesEducation · Own promise
Cheng says she will press the Province to fund faster school construction, seismic upgrades, clean air and the repair or replacement of old school buildings, and to make sure new and renovated schools meet high environmental standards.
“I will press the province to fund faster school construction, seismic upgrades, clean air and the repair or replacement of aging facilities, while ensuring new and renovated schools meet high environmental standards.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab).
No action yetRestore neighbourhood schoolsPublic land · Own promise
In her answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire of September 22, 2026, Cheng wrote that she will fight to restore strong neighbourhood schools. Her VoteMate candidate profile says COPE will restore neighbourhood schools.
“I will also fight to protect public school lands and restore strong neighbourhood schools.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), VoteMate: Melanie Cheng, COPE for Vancouver | 2026 BC Local Elections candidate profile (opens in a new tab).
No action yetClassroom and services as the first priorityEducation funding · Own promise
In her answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire of September 22, 2026, Cheng wrote that her first priority will be the classroom and the services that directly support students. Her VoteMate candidate profile says COPE will see the classroom and services to the classroom as its first priority.
“My first priority will be the classroom and the services that directly support students.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running (opens in a new tab), VoteMate: Melanie Cheng, COPE for Vancouver | 2026 BC Local Elections candidate profile (opens in a new tab).
No action yetOppose city buildings that would shade classrooms and playgroundsSchool facilities · Own promise
Cheng's VoteMate candidate profile says COPE will oppose any city development near schools that would put classrooms and playgrounds in shadow during school hours.
“Opposing any city development near schools that would result in a significant shadowing of classrooms and playgrounds during school hours.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: VoteMate: Melanie Cheng, COPE for Vancouver | 2026 BC Local Elections candidate profile (opens in a new tab).
No action yetSupport teachers to teach complex and controversial topicsCurriculum · Own promise
Cheng's VoteMate candidate profile says COPE will support educators to teach about complex and controversial topics, including the history and ongoing impact of residential schools and colonization, anti-Black racism, and the history and present situation of Palestine.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: VoteMate: Melanie Cheng, COPE for Vancouver | 2026 BC Local Elections candidate profile (opens in a new tab).
No action yetProtect and strengthen specialized district programsSchool programs · Own promise
In her answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire of October 8, 2026, Cheng wrote that if elected she will work to protect and strengthen specialized district programs, including gifted programs, mini schools and programs for students with disabilities.
“If elected, I will work to protect and strengthen specialized district programs, including gifted programs, mini schools, and programs for students with disabilities.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 3: Specialized District Programs (opens in a new tab).
No action yetFair access to district programs, with open admissionsSchool programs · Own promise
In the same answer, Cheng wrote that she will advocate for equal access to these programs across Vancouver, with open admissions processes and action on barriers of income, location, disability, language and access to information.
“I will advocate for equitable access across Vancouver, with transparent admissions processes and action to address barriers related to income, geography, disability, language, and access to information.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 3: Specialized District Programs (opens in a new tab).
No action yetMore Education Assistants in neighbourhood schools and district programsStudent support · Own promise
In the same answer, Cheng wrote that she will advocate for more Education Assistants, the staff who support students with disabilities in class, in both neighbourhood schools and district choice programs.
“I will advocate for more Education Assistants in both neighbourhood schools and district choice programs, and for a range of program options that meet students’ needs.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 3: Specialized District Programs (opens in a new tab).
No action yetOppose program cuts made only for budget reasons, and review programs openlySchool programs · Own promise
In the same answer, Cheng wrote that gifted programs and mini schools need stable staffing, resources and space, and that she will oppose cuts driven only by budget pressures and ask for open evaluations that consider learning results, equity and student well-being.
“I will oppose cuts driven solely by budget pressures and advocate for transparent evaluations that consider educational outcomes, equity, and student well-being.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 3: Specialized District Programs (opens in a new tab).
No action yetPut school expansions and new schools in growing neighbourhoods firstSchool facilities · Own promise
In her answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire of October 16, 2026, Cheng wrote that she will make school expansions, new schools and keeping existing school space in growing neighbourhoods a priority, working with governments, Indigenous rights holders, education partners and school communities.
“I will prioritize school expansions, new schools, and protecting existing capacity in growing neighbourhoods, working with governments, Indigenous rights holders, education partners, and school communities.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper): Candidates' Questionnaire Week 4: Capacity Issues and Land-Use Policies (opens in a new tab).
No action yetClimate-ready schools with healthy indoor air and coolingSchool facilities · Own promise
In her answers to the Vote4Tomorrow climate questionnaire of Doctors for Planetary Health - West Coast, Cheng wrote that as a trustee she would support climate-resilient schools, seismic upgrades that save energy, healthy indoor air and cooling systems.
“As a Trustee, I would support climate-resilient schools, energy-efficient seismic upgrades, healthy indoor air and cooling systems, protection of school green space, and transparent implementation of the VSB’s environmental sustainability commitments.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: Vote4Tomorrow: Melanie Cheng, School Board, Vancouver (answers to the Doctors for Planetary Health - West Coast climate questionnaire) (opens in a new tab).
No action yetProtect green space on school groundsEnvironment · Own promise
In the same Vote4Tomorrow answer, Cheng wrote that as a trustee she would support the protection of green space on school grounds.
“As a Trustee, I would support climate-resilient schools, energy-efficient seismic upgrades, healthy indoor air and cooling systems, protection of school green space, and transparent implementation of the VSB’s environmental sustainability commitments.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: Vote4Tomorrow: Melanie Cheng, School Board, Vancouver (answers to the Doctors for Planetary Health - West Coast climate questionnaire) (opens in a new tab).
No action yetCarry out the board's environmental sustainability commitments in the openEnvironment · Own promise
In the same Vote4Tomorrow answer, Cheng wrote that as a trustee she would support carrying out the Vancouver School Board's environmental sustainability commitments in public view.
“As a Trustee, I would support climate-resilient schools, energy-efficient seismic upgrades, healthy indoor air and cooling systems, protection of school green space, and transparent implementation of the VSB’s environmental sustainability commitments.”
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: Vote4Tomorrow: Melanie Cheng, School Board, Vancouver (answers to the Doctors for Planetary Health - West Coast climate questionnaire) (opens in a new tab).
No action yetMake classrooms and services for students the first priorityEducation funding · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says its School Board team will make classrooms and services for students the first priority.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetA universal breakfast and lunch program for all VSB studentsFood security · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will create a universal school meal program for all Vancouver School Board students, so that no child is hungry, with breakfast and lunch.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 14, section 3.2 Make Groceries More Affordable, and page 20, section 3.7 (opens in a new tab).
No action yetUse school buildings for child care, arts and sports programs, and gardensChildcare · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will use school facilities for before- and after-school child care, for arts and sports programs for children and youth, and for school gardens. Its child care section adds faster growth of before- and after-school child care spaces at elementary schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 19, section 3.6 Keep Families in Vancouver, and page 20, section 3.7 (opens in a new tab).
No action yetReverse cuts to programs for vulnerable studentsSchool programs · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will reverse the ABC and Vancouver Liberal cuts to programs that support vulnerable students, naming the Safe and Caring Schools program and the Britannia hockey academy.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetPress the Province for more money and faster approval of school buildsSchool facilities · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will demand that the provincial government give more funding and approve faster builds for schools that need repair or replacement, and for neighbourhoods that need new schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetRenewable energy in all new school builds and major renovationsSchool facilities · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will require renewable energy sources in all new school builds and major renovations.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetAn urgent action plan for seismic and air quality upgradesSchool facilities · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will carry out an urgent action plan for seismic upgrades and air quality upgrades in schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetFund school mental health counsellors in place of school liaison officersStudent well-being · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will put student safety and well-being first by funding school mental health counsellors in place of school liaison officers, the police officers assigned to schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetPress the Province for more school funding and smaller classesEducation funding · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will push the Province for more public school funding, to reduce class sizes and to back tuition-free adult basic education programs.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetKeep school land public and use it for the publicSchool lands · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will treat school properties as public land, protect them and use them for public benefit, and will not sell them off to cover budget shortfalls.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetOpen, live-streamed Board meetings where the public can ask questionsOpen governance at the School Board · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will bring parents, students, unions, employees and the wider community into Board decisions through open, moderated, live-streamed meetings that allow questions from the public.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetTown halls and a budget process the public takes part inOpen governance at the School Board · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will hold town halls and brainstorming sessions and run participatory budget processes, in which the public helps decide parts of the Board's budget.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetOpen and ongoing oversight of the SuperintendentGovernance · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will provide transparent and ongoing oversight of the Superintendent, the one employee who reports directly to the trustees.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetRegular reviews of Board governance and operating policiesGovernance · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will carry out regular reviews of governance and operational policies so that elected trustees have more power to make decisions on public education.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetFewer private Board meetingsOpen governance at the School Board · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will hold fewer private Board meetings.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetProperly fund inclusive educationStudent support · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will properly fund inclusive education for students with diverse learning needs.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetBring Indigenous education practices into school programsReconciliation · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will facilitate Indigenous educational practices within school programs.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetAdopt the BC Human Rights Commission's recommendations against racism in schoolsEquity · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will adopt recommendations from the BC Human Rights Commission to respond to and fight racism in schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetDefend sexual orientation and gender identity education in schoolsEquity · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will push back against attacks on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) education in schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetMatch special education funding to students' identified needsStudent support · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will align special education funding with identified special education needs, including per-student funding for students with learning disabilities and for those who need moderate behaviour support.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetPause AI chatbots in schools and run a technology auditEducation and technology · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will pause the rollout of AI large language models (chatbots) in Vancouver schools, and consult parents and others on a technology audit that sets rules on student safety and privacy, learning, mental health, the environment and student and staff use.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 23, section 3.9 Don't Force A.I. on Vancouver (opens in a new tab).
No action yetSupport music, arts, sports and recreation programs for VSB studentsSchool programs · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will support arts and recreation programs for Vancouver School Board students, including music and band, sports and recreation, theatre, and activities outside class that let students build skills and express themselves.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 20, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetOppose public education money going to elite private schoolsEducation funding · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will fight against public education funds going to elite private schools, and says public funding for private schools is going up while working class students face program cuts and closures. The Province sets the public funding of private schools.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 21, section 3.7 Put Students First at Vancouver School Board (opens in a new tab).
No action yetDrop-in child care spaces at schoolsChildcare · Party platform
COPE's 2026 platform says the party will set up drop-in spaces at community centres and schools where parents can get affordable, safe and reliable child care.
No vote or decision on this promise yet.
Where the promise was made: COPE Vancouver: Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF), page 19, section 3.6 Keep Families in Vancouver (opens in a new tab).

Candidate research / October 8, 2026

This record covers school board candidate Melanie Cheng's ten years of parent advocacy in Vancouver schools, which the Vancouver Sun, CTV News, Global News and CityNews reported on in 2016 and CBC, The Globe and Mail, The Tyee and others have reported on since 2023, the COPE platform Cheng runs on, and two published disputes from the period as chair of the district parent advisory council.

18Commitments 5Programs 32News articles 65Sources

Issue scores / How the plan is scored

How complete is the published plan?

The score counts how complete and checkable the published plan on this issue is. Whether the plan would work is a separate question, left to the reader. Measured October 8, 2026. The same seven points apply to every candidate for this office.

Schools and student support5/10
- 2/2
  A position in the candidate’s own words
  “Melanie has fought hard to protect public school land, strengthen parent voice, and push for transparency and accountability in decision-making.”
  Stated by the candidate.
  COPE school board candidates and platform
- 2/2
  Names a mechanism the office controls
  “pausing the use of generative AI and chatbots in schools until the District completes a transparent public review”
  Stated by the candidate.
  Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running
- 0/2
  States a measurable target
  No number for what would exist or change.
- 0/1
  States a cost or funding source
  No cost or funding source.
- 0/1
  States a timeline
  No date or term milestone.
- 1/1
  A dated, sourced action on the issue
  “Graham Bruce Elementary soccer field kept as public land”
  Approved, October 1, 2025.
  Board meeting minutes, October 1, 2025
- 0/1
  Answered the voche.me question on the issue
  The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
COPE’s platform on schools: 2 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Board of Education runs Vancouver public schools, sets catchment boundaries and approves the district budget. Teacher pay and the provincial funding formula are set by the province.
Every School Board candidate on schools, scored the same way
Governance and City Hall5/10
- 2/2
  A position in the candidate’s own words
  “Melanie Cheng has seen first-hand the need for transparent, accountable decision-making grounded in the needs of students and school communities.”
  Stated by the candidate.
  COPE school board candidates and platform
- 2/2
  Names a mechanism the office controls
  “participatory budgeting”
  Stated by the candidate.
  Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running
- 0/2
  States a measurable target
  No number for what would exist or change.
- 0/1
  States a cost or funding source
  No cost or funding source.
- 0/1
  States a timeline
  No date or term milestone.
- 1/1
  A dated, sourced action on the issue
  “District parent council executive, chaired by Cheng, passed a motion on board accountability”
  Reported by The Tyee, November 22, 2024.
  Trustee Takes Aim at School District Meeting Restrictions
- 0/1
  Answered the voche.me question on the issue
  The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
What this office controls. Council, the Park Board and the Board of Education each set their own meeting rules, committees, public consultation and reporting. The Vancouver Charter and the School Act create the three bodies and set their powers, and only the Province can change those acts.
Every School Board candidate on governance, scored the same way
City taxes and the capital plan1/10
- 1/2
  A position in the candidate’s own words
  Party platform; candidate not quoted. COPE publishes 4 commitments on this issue.
- 0/2
  Names a mechanism the office controls
  Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
- 0/2
  States a measurable target
  Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
- 0/1
  States a cost or funding source
  Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
- 0/1
  States a timeline
  Party text earns no points here; the statement must be the candidate’s own.
- 0/1
  A dated, sourced action on the issue
  No dated public action on this issue found.
- 0/1
  Answered the voche.me question on the issue
  The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
COPE’s platform on taxes and budget: 4 commitments, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Board of Education approves the school district’s operating and capital budgets. The Province sets the funding formula and the school tax.
Every School Board candidate on taxes and budget, scored the same way
Policing and public safety4/10
- 2/2
  A position in the candidate’s own words
  “Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in Vancouver”
  Stated by the candidate.
  Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in Vancouver
- 2/2
  Names a mechanism the office controls
  “Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding”
  Stated by the candidate.
  Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in Vancouver
- 0/2
  States a measurable target
  No number for what would exist or change.
- 0/1
  States a cost or funding source
  No cost or funding source.
- 0/1
  States a timeline
  No date or term milestone.
- 0/1
  A dated, sourced action on the issue
  No dated public action on this issue found.
- 0/1
  Answered the voche.me question on the issue
  The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
COPE’s platform on public safety: 3 commitments, none with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Board of Education sets safety policies for its schools and decides whether police liaison officers work in them. Policing itself is the Vancouver Police Department’s.
Every School Board candidate on public safety, scored the same way
Child care2/10
- 2/2
  A position in the candidate’s own words
  “As past Chair of Vancouver DPAC, I stood up for child care, built parent power, and demanded decisions that put kids first.”
  Stated by the candidate.
  Melanie Cheng campaign home page
- 0/2
  Names a mechanism the office controls
  No instrument the office controls is named.
- 0/2
  States a measurable target
  No number for what would exist or change.
- 0/1
  States a cost or funding source
  No cost or funding source.
- 0/1
  States a timeline
  No date or term milestone.
- 0/1
  A dated, sourced action on the issue
  No dated public action on this issue found.
- 0/1
  Answered the voche.me question on the issue
  The questionnaire has not been sent yet. No candidate has this point.
COPE’s platform on child care: 1 commitment, at least one with a number. Party text earns the candidate the position point only.
What this office controls. The Board of Education decides how school buildings and land are used, including child care on school sites. Licensing and operating funding are provincial.
Every School Board candidate on child care, scored the same way

Which of these issues matter to you? Weight them and see all School Board candidates in your own order.

Search log for Melanie Cheng: 6 of 7 steps done. Every point links to the source it was read in. Report an error through the corrections form.

Public schedule / Through election day

Where can you hear Melanie Cheng?

No public appearance by this candidate was confirmed in the sources checked on October 8, 2026. The voting dates below apply to every voter. An empty day means only that this review found no listing for that day.

Checked October 8, 2026 · All event times are Vancouver local time. Recheck the organizer before travelling.

Election dates and voting informationOfficial record · City of Vancouver
Where to voteOfficial record · City of Vancouver

On dates without a confirmed appearance the public schedule is unknown; the candidate may still have activities that day. This static page changes only when its research is updated.

01 / Introduction

About Melanie Cheng

Melanie Cheng appears on the City of Vancouver's final 2026 candidate list for School Board, with ballot number 314. The City records the affiliation as COPE.

The party page says Cheng works as a senior paralegal and has used a law and governance background to speak for students and families in education over the past ten years. The party page says Cheng is a former chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council.

COPE's school board page says Cheng is a senior paralegal who has used a background in law and governance to advocate for students and families in education over the past ten years.

Cheng's campaign site says Cheng grew up in East Vancouver, holds a sociology degree from the University of British Columbia and has worked for more than 20 years as a senior paralegal in estates and trusts.

CBC reported on June 15, 2023 that Cheng was vice-president of the Graham Bruce Elementary parent advisory council and had attended the school as a student.

CBC, CityNews and The Tyee identified Cheng as chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council in reports published between December 2024 and November 2025.

The Tyee described Cheng on August 11, 2026 as a former Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council chair who is running for school board with COPE alongside Suzie Mah, Derrick O'Keefe and Gwen Giesbrecht.

COPE members chose Cheng as one of four school board candidates at the party's nomination meeting on May 12, 2026.

The Vancouver and District Labour Council lists Cheng among the COPE School Board candidates it endorses, on a page dated June 25, 2026.

Cheng's VoteMate profile, which the candidate or her team writes, says she was elected chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council twice and brought a 2025 motion on fair parent engagement that the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils passed. Her own accounts give the number of schools in the 2016 closure plan she campaigned against as 11 on her campaign site and 12 on VoteMate and in The Griffins' Nest.

Cheng's campaign site says Cheng led the Save Bruce Field campaign from 2023 and found the school board's subdivision plan through freedom of information requests in 2021. The school board's own minutes of October 1, 2025 record that trustees ended the process to declare the eastern part of the Graham Bruce Elementary site surplus and took no further action on its subdivision or sale.

The campaign site says Cheng received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in September 2024 for the Save Bruce Field work. The Government of British Columbia's list of medal recipients, published September 18, 2024, includes Melanie Cheng of Vancouver, nominated by MLA Adrian Dix, the same nominator the campaign site thanks.

CityHallWatch has republished analyses written by Cheng, including a February 23, 2026 piece on the gap between new housing approvals and school capacity and a March 6, 2026 piece on changes to the city's draft Official Development Plan.

Cheng appears on the Vancouver ballot as number 314 for school board trustee, according to the candidate list published on September 22, 2026.

The Vancouver Sun reported on September 13, 2016 that Cheng was among the parents who organized a petition drive that summer against school closures in East Vancouver. CityNews reported that parents delivered 18,342 signatures to the education minister's office on October 18, 2016. Global News put the number of schools then facing possible closure at 11, and the Vancouver Sun at 12.

Between 2023 and 2025, CBC, CTV News, Global News, CityNews, the Vancouver Sun, The Globe and Mail, The Tyee, Radio-Canada and BCIT News quoted Cheng on school land, school closures, earthquake safety in schools, school board meeting rules, rodent complaints in schools, heart defibrillators in schools and inclusive education. Each report is listed on this page with its date.

A video posted on Cheng's Instagram account on October 5, 2026 opens with the on-screen words "I'm Adrian Dix, the MLA for Vancouver-Renfrew," and her caption thanks Adrian Dix and Don Davies. voche.me read the caption and the opening frame and did not listen to the video.

voche.me assembled this profile from the official candidate list, the campaign material and the reports linked under Sources. Cheng wrote to voche.me on October 8, 2026 and asked that this page reflect the interviews on her media list. voche.me opened each of the 47 items on that list and added the reports that name her. No text supplied by the campaign appears on this page.

Vancouver's new School Board to be sworn in today at 5 pm COPE and Greens win all seven Park Board seats; COPE, Greens and OneCity win all nine School Board seats COPE and Greens lead Vancouver council race in early results COPE unveils 2026 Vancouver platform with library funding, tenant protections, and a public audit Read the sources

Promises / Commitments and evidence

Commitments and the available evidence.

Published positions and selected commitments, separated by election cycle. Status labels describe the evidence reviewed, not a numerical score or a complete audit of the platform. Council approval is different from delivery.

18 commitments shown · Checked Oct 8

2026 · School landCampaign pledge

Stop the sale and long-term lease of school land

COPE's school board page says Cheng has fought to protect public school land and will continue that work as a trustee. The party's school board platform lists protecting public school land from sale or privatisation.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The party page states the commitment. In her own answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire of September 22, 2026, Cheng wrote that she will fight to protect public school lands, and on Instagram on September 29 she wrote that the next Board will face more decisions to subdivide and close schools. Neither source says what would happen to the 99-year Fleming Elementary lease that the board has already signed.
What still needs checking: Whether Cheng would try to unwind existing leases or only block new ones.

COPE school board candidates and platformCampaign · COPE Vancouver
Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

2026 · GovernanceCampaign pledge

More transparency in board decisions

COPE's page says Cheng will push for transparency and accountability in school board decision-making.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The party page states it. In November 2025 The Tyee reported that the board kept meeting rules that parent and labour groups said reduced public input, and quoted Cheng's objection. A March 2026 analysis by Cheng on CityHallWatch names decisions the board made in private session, including rezoning Fleming Elementary's basketball courts, advancing the Bruce Elementary field subdivision, and filing an undisclosed subdivision plan for Carleton Elementary.
What still needs checking: Which specific meeting or reporting rules Cheng would move to change.

COPE school board candidates and platformCampaign · COPE Vancouver
Asked to Improve Transparency, School Board Keeps Private MeetingsReporting · The Tyee
Stealth changes to Vancouver's draft Official Development Plan removed school land protectionsReporting · CityHallWatch

2026 · GovernanceCampaign pledge

Stronger role for parents in decisions

COPE's page says Cheng will strengthen parent voice in school board decisions.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The party page states the aim. No process change is named.
What still needs checking: What a strengthened parent role would look like in board procedure.

COPE school board candidates and platformCampaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · Education fundingCampaign pledge

Stable funding and universal school meals

COPE's school board platform calls for stable funding for public education and expanded universal school meal programs. This is the party's position.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The party page lists both. Operating money for school districts comes from the province, and the page does not say how a trustee would secure it.
What still needs checking: The cost of a universal meal programme in Vancouver and where the money would come from.

COPE school board candidates and platformCampaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · School closuresCampaign pledge

Reopen Sir Guy Carleton Elementary

Cheng's campaign site says Cheng leads the Save Carleton campaign and wants the school reopened to serve new family housing in Joyce-Collingwood.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: CityNews reported on November 24, 2025 that Cheng started the Save Carleton campaign and was collecting petition signatures. CBC reported that the Vancouver School Board voted 5 to 3 on December 17, 2025 to permanently close the school, and quoted Cheng arguing before the vote that the closure did not fit the city's own complete-neighbourhoods planning. Reopening the school would need a new board decision and provincial money for seismic work; a 2019 estimate put the cost of restoring and seismically upgrading the building at $36 million, which the board says would now be higher.
What still needs checking: What the board would have to do to reverse the closure, and what the seismic upgrade would cost today.

My JourneyCampaign · melaniecheng.ca
Vancouver School Board to hear discussion on closing city's oldest schoolReporting · CityNews Vancouver
Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary SchoolReporting · CBC

2026 · Education and technologyCampaign pledge

Pause student use of generative AI in schools

Cheng supports pausing the school district's rollout of generative AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot 13+, until clear policies and safeguards are in place, and pausing student use of AI chatbots until the district completes a public review of their effects. COPE's party position, reported by The Tyee, is the same.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: Her own answers to The Griffins' Nest questionnaires of September 22 and 28, 2026 state the position. The Tyee reported COPE's position on August 11, 2026. No source gives a date for the review, who would carry it out, or its cost.
What still needs checking: When the public review would start and finish, and what it would cost.

Where Do Vancouver Parties Stand on AI?Reporting · The Tyee
Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Candidates' Questionnaire Week 2: Generative AI in SchoolsInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)

2026 · ChildcareCampaign pledge

Childcare on and around school sites

Cheng's campaign site lists childcare as a core issue and says Cheng stood up for childcare while chairing the district parent advisory council.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The site states it. Cheng's February 2026 analysis on CityHallWatch made the same argument about a Joyce-Collingwood rezoning that removed a secured childcare facility from a private development. In a December 2025 CBC report on the Sir Guy Carleton closure, Cheng said a growing area like Joyce-Collingwood would need land and facilities, like Carleton's, for child care and other public amenities. In her Griffins' Nest answer of September 22, 2026 she called for coordinated planning for enrolment growth and child care. An August 2025 post on her campaign site, based on a school board committee report, says lease rates for non-profit school-age child care on school sites will rise by 69 percent for exclusive space and 73 percent for shared space over three years.
What still needs checking: How many childcare spaces Cheng would seek on school district land, and by when.

Melanie Cheng campaign home pageCampaign · melaniecheng.ca
When new family housing comes without childcare: a warning signReporting · CityHallWatch
Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary SchoolReporting · CBC
Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
70% Increase in School-Age Child Care Fees in VancouverCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

2026 · Protect public school landCampaign pledge

Protect public school land

The party page says Cheng has worked to stop public school land being sold and would continue that work as a trustee.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: Taken from the campaign page listed in the sources. No independent confirmation was found.
What still needs checking: What would this cost, who would deliver it, and by when?

COPE school board candidates and platformCampaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · Open and accountable board decisionsCampaign pledge

Open and accountable board decisions

The party page says Cheng wants school board decisions to be open and accountable and based on what students and school communities need.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: Taken from the campaign page listed in the sources. No independent confirmation was found.
What still needs checking: What would this cost, who would deliver it, and by when?

COPE school board candidates and platformCampaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · School planningCampaign pledge

Coordinate school capital planning with housing density approvals

In a February 2026 analysis republished by CityHallWatch, Cheng called for Vancouver School Board capital planning to be sequenced with large scale density approvals, student yield modelling embedded in every major rezoning referral, and public reporting of projected school impact alongside development approvals.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The analysis is Cheng's own, republished with her permission. It names no cost or completion date for the coordinated planning it calls for. A March 9, 2026 post on her campaign site applies the board's student yield rates to the City's target of 83,000 new homes and projects 9,660 more students; it says the board's capital planning needs to put growth near transit first. On Instagram on September 29, 2026 she wrote that the district needs to start planning for growth.
What still needs checking: Whether Cheng, if elected, would bring a motion asking the board to require this modelling and reporting, and by when.

Density without classrooms: the growing crisis in Vancouver's school planningReporting · CityHallWatch
83,000 new homes in 10 years: Vancouver schools and the City's planning gapCampaign · melaniecheng.ca
Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

2026 · EducationCampaign pledge

Properly funded inclusive education

Cheng says that, as a trustee, she will advocate for properly funded inclusive education, the support for students with disabilities and different learning needs.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: From her own answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire. She names no amount, no budget line and no date. COPE's 2026 platform also calls for properly funding inclusive education.
What still needs checking: How much more money, from which budget line, and by when.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF)Campaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · EducationCampaign pledge

More mental health and counselling support for students

Cheng says she will advocate for stronger mental health and teacher counselling support for students.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: From her own answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire. She names no number of counsellors, no cost and no date. COPE's 2026 platform calls for funding school mental health counsellors in place of school liaison officers.
What still needs checking: How many counsellors, at what cost, and by when.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF)Campaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · EducationCampaign pledge

Music, arts, sports and recreation programs in schools

Cheng says she will advocate for thriving music, arts, sports and recreation programs. On Instagram on October 1, 2026 she wrote that music was cut back in schools this year, with 39 teacher reallocations, and that trustees should look for ways to stop the cuts.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: Her questionnaire answer and Instagram post state the aim. The figure of 39 reallocations is her own and was not checked against a district record. She names no program to restore, no cost and no date.
What still needs checking: Which music programs would return, at what cost, and from which budget line.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Instagram post on music cuts in schools, October 1, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

2026 · GovernanceCampaign pledge

Accessible meetings and participatory budgeting

Cheng says she will work for open and democratic school board decisions through accessible meetings, participatory budgeting, where the public helps decide spending, and consultation before decisions are made.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: From her own answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire. She does not say how much of the budget the public would decide, or when the process would start. COPE's 2026 platform lists the same methods and fewer private board meetings.
What still needs checking: What share of the district budget would go through participatory budgeting, and from which year.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF)Campaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · EducationCampaign pledge

Stop school closures, subdivisions and sales of school land

Cheng says Vancouver needs coordinated planning for enrolment growth, child care and community programs instead of more school closures, subdivisions of school sites or sales of school land.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: From her own answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire, repeated in her September 29, 2026 Instagram post. She names no specific site, no length of time and no cost.
What still needs checking: Which planned closures or subdivisions she would stop, and how.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)
Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

2026 · EducationCampaign pledge

Update the district long-range facilities plan with public consultation

In a March 2026 post on her campaign site, Cheng called for the school board to update its long-range facilities plan, the plan the Province requires before it funds school buildings, with public consultation and enrolment forecasts that match the City's new housing.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The post is her own, written before her nomination and still on her campaign site. It gives no date for the update and no cost.
What still needs checking: When the updated plan would be finished, and how the public would take part.

Growth Without Classrooms: Vancouver's School Planning CrisisCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

2026 · Public safetyCampaign pledge

Restore Safe and Caring Schools funding

A September 2025 post on Cheng's campaign site calls for restoring funding for the school district's Safe and Caring Schools department, whose 9 district support workers handled critical incidents, threat assessments and help for students at risk. COPE's 2026 platform also promises to reverse cuts to the program.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: The post is her own and is still on her campaign site. It says all 9 positions were cut in the 2025-2026 budget; that figure was not checked against the budget document. It gives no cost and no date for restoring the program.
What still needs checking: What restoring the 9 positions would cost and in which budget year.

Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in VancouverCampaign · melaniecheng.ca
Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF)Campaign · COPE Vancouver

2026 · EducationCampaign pledge

Press the Province to fund school construction and seismic upgrades

Cheng says she will press the Province to fund faster school construction, seismic upgrades, clean air and the repair or replacement of old school buildings, and to make sure new and renovated schools meet high environmental standards.

Evidence & next checks

Evidence reviewed: From her own answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire. Capital money for school buildings comes from the Province, so the trustee's part is to ask for it. She names no project, no amount and no date.
What still needs checking: Which schools she would put first in the capital plan request.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)

City programs / Scope and delivery

Policies, budgets & programs

Each entry below names its source. Campaign material is the candidate's own account. Nothing here is presented as a verified outcome unless the entry says so.

Oct 1Approved

Graham Bruce Elementary soccer field kept as public land

The Vancouver School Board's minutes of October 1, 2025 record that the Board ended the process to declare the eastern part of the Graham Bruce Elementary site surplus and took no further action on subdividing or selling it. Cheng's campaign site says the field was saved that day.

Scope, limits and sources

CBC reported in June 2023 that the school board was looking at subdividing 0.4 hectares of the field for sale or lease under its land asset strategy, and quoted Cheng opposing the plan as vice-president of the school's parent advisory council. The minutes record the Board's decision; they do not name Cheng.

Board meeting minutes, October 1, 2025Official record · Vancouver School Board
My JourneyCampaign · melaniecheng.ca
Board's plan to subdivide soccer field raises fears of Vancouver schools losing playing surfacesReporting · CBC

Nov 24Reported by CityNews and CBC

Started the Save Carleton campaign

CityNews reported that Cheng, chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, started the Save Carleton campaign against the closure of Sir Guy Carleton Elementary and was collecting petition signatures for a public delegation meeting.

Scope, limits and sources

CBC reported that Cheng spoke against the closure again before the Vancouver School Board's December 17, 2025 vote, which closed the school 5 to 3. Cheng's campaign site says the Save Carleton campaign continues, seeking to reopen the school.

Vancouver School Board to hear discussion on closing city's oldest schoolReporting · CityNews Vancouver
Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary SchoolReporting · CBC
My JourneyCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

Oct 18Reported by the Vancouver Sun and CityNews

Helped organize the Save Our Schools petition against school closures

The Vancouver Sun reported on September 13, 2016 that Cheng was among the parents from three schools who organized a petition drive over the summer, and that parents brought more than 11,000 signatures to the Vancouver School Board offices. CityNews reported that a group of parents delivered 18,342 signatures to the education minister's office on October 18, 2016, and quoted Cheng.

Scope, limits and sources

Global News reported that parents won a pause on school closures in early October 2016, and that the minister said closures were not on the agenda for the official trustee he had appointed. These reports date from before her candidacy and show a community role.

Fourth generation of students among school closure protestersReporting · Vancouver Sun
East Van parents present 18K signatures against school closuresReporting · CityNews Vancouver
Vancouver parents criticize school board dismissal, petition ministerReporting · Global News

Nov 22Reported by The Tyee

District parent council executive, chaired by Cheng, passed a motion on board accountability

The Tyee reported on November 22, 2024 that the executive of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, which Cheng chaired, passed a motion demanding more accountability and transparency from the Vancouver School Board, for its members to vote on on November 28. The report also says Cheng asked to present to the board on rental fees charged to parent councils and was refused.

Scope, limits and sources

This is independent reporting from before her candidacy, and it names her role as chair. The report does not say who moved the motion, and voche.me did not find the result of the members' vote.

Trustee Takes Aim at School District Meeting RestrictionsReporting · The Tyee

Oct 21Reported by CTV News and BCIT News

Organized the Build Schools Now rally at Vancouver City Hall

CTV reported that Cheng, then chair of the district parent advisory council, organized a rally outside Vancouver City Hall on October 21, 2025 that asked the City to pause the rezoning of Fleming Elementary's basketball courts. BCIT News named her as lead organizer of the Build Schools Now rally.

Scope, limits and sources

BCIT News reported that Cheng planned to raise the group's concerns at that evening's Council meeting. The two reports do not say what Council decided.

Vancouver parents organize rally to save land from school closure, developmentReporting · CTV News
Vancouver parents and kids rally for more student seats in public schoolsReporting · BCIT News

Recent appearances / Read and watch

Talks, interviews & statements

Read original statements and reporting, or open the publisher’s video. A summary of a speech is labelled separately from a full recording.

Feb 23Statement

Density without classrooms: the growing crisis in Vancouver's school planning

An analysis by Cheng, republished by CityHallWatch, arguing that the 16,118 housing units approved between 2023 and 2025 in the West End, Downtown, Kitsilano, Fairview and Mount Pleasant will add 1,128 school-aged children, by her estimate, in areas where many schools are already full, and that the city, the school board and the province need to plan together.

Density without classrooms: the growing crisis in Vancouver's school planningReporting · CityHallWatch

Mar 6Statement

Changes to the draft Official Development Plan removed school land protections

An analysis by Cheng, republished by CityHallWatch, reporting that wording saying residential uses are not intended on existing school sites was removed between the October 2025 and January 2026 drafts of the city's Official Development Plan, and asking how that change was made and why school communities were not told.

Stealth changes to Vancouver's draft Official Development Plan removed school land protectionsReporting · CityHallWatch

Sep 22Statement

Answers to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire: why she is running and her priorities

In answers published by the Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper, Cheng said she is running after more than ten years of watching families fight to keep their schools and programs. She named her priorities as classrooms and student services, protecting school land, coordinated planning for growth, pressing the Province for building money, open governance, and a pause on generative AI in schools until the district completes a public review.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're RunningInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)

Sep 28Statement

Answer to The Griffins' Nest questionnaire on generative AI in schools

Cheng wrote that she supports pausing the district-wide rollout of generative AI tools, including Microsoft Copilot 13+, until clear policies and safeguards are in place. She said students should learn how AI works and its limits, and that AI literacy can be taught without giving chatbots to every secondary student. She pointed to COPE's call for a technology audit and consultation.

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 2: Generative AI in SchoolsInterview · The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper)

Sep 29Statement

Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures

Cheng wrote that the next Board will face more decisions to subdivide and close schools, and that the district needs to fund classrooms and plan for growth.

Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

Oct 1Statement

Instagram collaboration post with COPE on the school board team

A post shared by COPE and Cheng's account says COPE trustees will work to reverse cuts to programs and supports for students, and lists the four COPE School Board candidates with their ballot numbers.

Instagram collaboration post by COPE and Cheng on the COPE school board team, October 1, 2026Campaign · @copevancouver and @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

Oct 1Statement

Instagram post on music cuts in schools

Cheng wrote that music was cut back in schools this year, with 39 teacher reallocations, that more budget pressure lies ahead, and that voters should elect trustees who will look for ways to stop the cuts.

Instagram post on music cuts in schools, October 1, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

Oct 2Statement

Instagram post on her parent council motions

Cheng wrote that for two years she brought motions to the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils on behalf of Vancouver parents, on fair engagement practices and support for parent volunteers. The post thanks a Victoria school trustee candidate for an endorsement.

Instagram post on parent council motions and an endorsement, October 2, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

Mar 2Statement

Growth Without Classrooms: Vancouver's School Planning Crisis

A post on Cheng's campaign site, written before the City's hearing on its Official Development Plan, arguing that the plan speeds up housing approvals without requiring updated school enrolment forecasts or an updated long-range facilities plan. It says 31 schools are over 100 percent of capacity, based on school board open data.

Growth Without Classrooms: Vancouver's School Planning CrisisCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

Mar 9Statement

83,000 new homes in 10 years: Vancouver schools and the City's planning gap

A post on Cheng's campaign site that applies the school board's student yield rates to the City's 10-year target of 83,000 new homes and projects 9,660 more students, many near transit stations where schools are already full.

83,000 new homes in 10 years: Vancouver schools and the City's planning gapCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

Sep 2Statement

Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in Vancouver

A post on Cheng's campaign site saying the school board's 2025-2026 budget cut all 9 support worker positions in its Safe and Caring Schools department, and asking whether City Council was told before it debated a review of the school liaison officer program in July 2025.

Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in VancouverCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

Aug 16Statement

70% Increase in School-Age Child Care Fees in Vancouver

A post on Cheng's campaign site, based on a school board committee report, saying lease rates for non-profit school-age child care on school sites will rise by 69 percent for exclusive space and 73 percent for shared space over three years, starting in April 2026.

70% Increase in School-Age Child Care Fees in VancouverCampaign · melaniecheng.ca

Aug 15Statement

Commentary with Adrian Dix: Graham Bruce elementary is a great community school

A commentary in The Georgia Straight signed by Cheng and Adrian Dix, then the MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway, giving seven reasons to keep Graham Bruce Elementary open. The Straight describes Cheng as active on the school's parent advisory committee and a former student of the school.

Melanie Cheng and Adrian Dix: Graham Bruce elementary is a great community schoolReporting · The Georgia Straight

Oct 5Statement

Instagram video with Adrian Dix and Don Davies

A video on Cheng's Instagram account opens with the on-screen words "I'm Adrian Dix, the MLA for Vancouver-Renfrew," above the label "Melanie Cheng for COPE School Board Trustee". Her caption thanks Adrian Dix and Don Davies and asks people to vote for all the COPE candidates. voche.me read the caption and the opening frame and did not listen to the video. A web search by voche.me on October 8, 2026 found no page from either politician's office about it.

Instagram video with Adrian Dix and Don Davies, October 5, 2026Campaign · @melaniechengofficial on Instagram

Accountability / Findings, disputes and responses

Controversies & public scrutiny

Records are labelled by type, including official findings, civil proceedings and political disputes where applicable. Each entry identifies the response found in the sources and the latest status verified for this page.

Policy disputeOctober 29, 2024

Dispute over the district parent council's antisemitism workshop

The Tyee reported that Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver and Parents 4 Palestine Vancouver objected to an antisemitism training session booked by the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, which Cheng chaired. The two groups said the training could treat criticism of Israel as antisemitism and shut down discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The provider said it does not offer education or advocacy on that conflict.

Candidate or party response

The Tyee reported that Cheng declined an interview request and instead forwarded a letter from the Rabbinical Association of Vancouver supporting the training, signed by nine rabbis, which said the provider was chosen through a months-long process and a vote of the council executive. The Tyee reported that Cheng did not answer follow-up questions about that process.

Verified status and limits

The workshop was scheduled for the day after the article was published. No later published record of what happened at the session was found, and no finding by any body was made against Cheng.

Antisemitism Training for Vancouver Parents Sparks ControversyReporting · The Tyee

Policy disputeNovember 6, 2025

Disagreement over who spoke for the district parent council

The Tyee reported on school board meeting rules that parent and labour groups said reduced public input. Cheng, then chair of the district parent advisory council, spoke to The Tyee only as a concerned parent and said no executive member would speak on the policy updates because they feared reprimand by the school board.

Candidate or party response

After publication, the council's secretary, Sherry Breshears, told The Tyee that the executive had not been consulted by Cheng about how they felt on the issue and that the executive had sent written feedback to the school board. No published reply from Cheng was found.

Verified status and limits

The Tyee added the secretary's statement to the article. No body made a finding, and Breshears is now a school board candidate for OneCity.

Asked to Improve Transparency, School Board Keeps Private MeetingsReporting · The Tyee
Vancouver's 2026 civic election candidate list is setReporting · Daily Hive

News coverage / Original publishers

Read the reporting

A dated reading list from independent publishers. The headings below are voche.me summaries; follow each link for the original article, context and any corrections.

June 15, 2023Reporting

CBC

Board's plan to subdivide soccer field raises fears of Vancouver schools losing playing surfaces

CBC quoted Cheng, then vice-president of the Graham Bruce Elementary parent advisory council, saying the school board was refusing to update its plan with housing and rezoning data and was defaulting to closure and consolidation.

Board's plan to subdivide soccer field raises fears of Vancouver schools losing playing surfacesReporting · CBC

December 7, 2024Reporting

CBC

Vancouver developer pays $8.5M for 99-year lease of school property

CBC quoted Cheng, as chair of the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, saying the Fleming Elementary community had made clear it did not want the development and that a 99-year lease set a precedent for other school sites, because the school board is the second-largest land owner in Vancouver.

Vancouver developer pays $8.5M for 99-year lease of school propertyReporting · CBC

November 17, 2025Reporting

CBC

After controversial land deal, Vancouver school's basketball courts are set to become rental housing

CBC quoted Cheng saying parents heard nothing about the Fleming Elementary lease between two public sessions in 2021 and the board's 2024 decision, and that the district needs to plan infrastructure with communities.

After controversial land deal, Vancouver school's basketball courts are set to become rental housingReporting · CBC

November 24, 2025Reporting

CityNews Vancouver

Vancouver School Board to hear discussion on closing city's oldest school

CityNews reported that Cheng started the Save Carleton campaign, carried a quote questioning the board's growth plans for the area, and said the campaign would bring thousands of petition signatures to the public delegation night.

Vancouver School Board to hear discussion on closing city's oldest schoolReporting · CityNews Vancouver

August 11, 2026Reporting

The Tyee

Where Do Vancouver Parties Stand on AI?

A survey of all seven municipal parties on AI data centres and AI chatbot accounts in schools. It names Cheng as a COPE school board candidate and former district parent advisory council chair and sets out COPE's call for a pause on student use of generative AI.

Where Do Vancouver Parties Stand on AI?Reporting · The Tyee

September 22, 2026Reporting

Daily Hive

Vancouver's 2026 civic election candidate list is set: All 130 names in ballot order

The published ballot order lists Cheng at number 314 for school board trustee, running for COPE.

Vancouver's 2026 civic election candidate list is setReporting · Daily Hive

May 14, 2026Reporting

Vancouver Is Awesome

OneCity, COPE choose candidates for 2026 civic election

Mike Howell reported that COPE chose Cheng, described as a former chair of the district parent advisory council, as one of its four School Board candidates.

OneCity, COPE choose candidates for 2026 civic electionReporting · Vancouver Is Awesome

September 28, 2026Reporting

Daily Hive

COPE Vancouver unveils its platform with housing a key priority

A report on COPE's 2026 platform that names Cheng among the party's four School Board candidates.

COPE Vancouver unveils its platform with housing a key priorityReporting · Daily Hive

November 13, 2025Reporting

CTV News

New schools coming to Metro Vancouver, as premier acknowledges more needed

CTV quoted Cheng, named as a parent with the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council, saying that when housing developments are approved, parents need to see coordinated planning for schools at the same time.

New schools coming to Metro Vancouver, as premier acknowledges more neededReporting · CTV News

November 11, 2025Reporting

CityNews Vancouver

High school student criticizes lack of transparency at VSB

CityNews quoted Cheng, as spokesperson for the district parent advisory council, supporting a high school student who criticized a lack of transparency at the school board. The report says Cheng and the student both called on the board to live-stream all meetings and publish records of its discussions.

High school student criticizes lack of transparency at VSBReporting · CityNews Vancouver

November 6, 2025Reporting

CBC

Coal Harbour elementary school delayed to next fall as costs rise and parents seek clarity

CBC quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, saying delays and rising costs at the new Coal Harbour elementary school were reducing families' confidence, and that parents need facility planning and information they can rely on.

Coal Harbour elementary school delayed to next fall as costs rise and parents seek clarityReporting · CBC

October 23, 2025Reporting

Radio-Canada

Des parents inquiets pour l'avenir de l'École Carleton

Radio-Canada, reporting in French, quoted Cheng as a neighbourhood resident and chair of the district parent advisory council saying the board was rushing the decision to close Carleton Elementary without enough data. The translation is voche.me's.

Des parents inquiets pour l'avenir de l'École CarletonReporting · Radio-Canada

October 21, 2025Reporting

CTV News

Vancouver parents organize rally to save land from school closure, development

CTV reported that Cheng organized a rally outside Vancouver City Hall asking the City to pause the rezoning of Fleming Elementary's basketball courts, and quoted her saying school board data dated June 16, 2025 shows the number of young people will rise and that she was concerned about the lack of planning.

Vancouver parents organize rally to save land from school closure, developmentReporting · CTV News

October 21, 2025Reporting

BCIT News

Vancouver parents and kids rally for more student seats in public schools

BCIT News named Cheng as lead organizer of the Build Schools Now rally and quoted her saying school land will be hard to get back once it is given up, so calling it surplus in a growing city concerns her.

Vancouver parents and kids rally for more student seats in public schoolsReporting · BCIT News

October 5, 2025Reporting

Vancouver Sun, republished by Yahoo News Canada

'Short-sighted cash grabs': Parents push back as Vancouver school board weighs school closure, condo plan

The Vancouver Sun reported that Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, and other parents urged the board and the City to halt the Fleming Elementary rezoning and reconsider closing Carleton Elementary, and quoted her saying the board was using outdated enrolment figures.

'Short-sighted cash grabs': Parents push back as Vancouver school board weighs school closure, condo planReporting · Vancouver Sun, republished by Yahoo News Canada

October 4, 2025Reporting

CTV News

'Still waiting': Parents rally for elementary school in Vancouver's Olympic Village

CTV quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, at a rally for the elementary school promised in Olympic Village, saying students now in Grade 11 were still waiting for it.

'Still waiting': Parents rally for elementary school in Vancouver's Olympic VillageReporting · CTV News

September 2, 2025Reporting

CBC

Rodents revealed: Reports detail hundreds of mouse and rat complaints in schools across Vancouver

CBC showed Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, school board documents listing more than 300 staff complaints about mice and rats. It quoted her asking for transparency, independent oversight and a seat for the parent council on the board's health and safety committee.

Rodents revealed: Reports detail hundreds of mouse and rat complaints in schools across VancouverReporting · CBC

August 7, 2025Reporting

Global News

B.C. to require all schools to be equipped with AEDs, naloxone

Global News quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, calling the Province's requirement for heart defibrillators and naloxone kits in every school a victory for the Point Grey students who campaigned for it.

B.C. to require all schools to be equipped with AEDs, naloxoneReporting · Global News

August 4, 2025Reporting

Vancouver Sun

New to B.C. school curriculum in fall: CPR, naloxone, cardiac arrest kits

The Vancouver Sun quoted Cheng, as president of the district parent advisory council, saying heart defibrillators in schools were long overdue.

New to B.C. school curriculum in fall: CPR, naloxone, cardiac arrest kitsReporting · Vancouver Sun

July 24, 2025Reporting

CityNews Vancouver

Vancouver city council votes down independent review of School Liaison Officer program

CityNews quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, saying the council would have welcomed an independent review of the school liaison officer program, given the reduction of the board's Safe and Caring Schools department.

Vancouver city council votes down independent review of School Liaison Officer programReporting · CityNews Vancouver

May 5, 2025Reporting

CTV News

Vancouver School Board trustee faces backlash after post referring to parents concerns as 'spam'

CTV reported that a trustee described emails from parents about inclusive education as spam. It quoted the district parent advisory council president, whose name CTV spells Melanie Chang, saying the emails were part of the council's budgeting for inclusion campaign and that parents felt they were not being heard.

Vancouver School Board trustee faces backlash after post referring to parents concerns as 'spam'Reporting · CTV News

November 22, 2024Reporting

The Tyee

Trustee Takes Aim at School District Meeting Restrictions

The Tyee quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, on rules that limit who may present to the school board. It reported that she was refused a chance to present on rental fees charged to parent councils, and that the council executive passed a motion asking the board for more accountability and transparency.

Trustee Takes Aim at School District Meeting RestrictionsReporting · The Tyee

October 12, 2024Reporting

Vancouver Sun

B.C. Election: Grading political parties on their education promises

Before the 2024 provincial election the Vancouver Sun quoted Cheng, as president of the district parent advisory council, on the parties' education promises. She said parents' main concerns included before and after school care, repairing old schools and building new ones, meal programs, and keeping the SOGI 123 resources on sexual orientation and gender identity.

B.C. Election: Grading political parties on their education promisesReporting · Vancouver Sun

September 28, 2024Reporting

CBC

Vancouver School Board criticized after it moves to issue 99-year lease to developer

CBC quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, saying the Fleming Elementary community did not want the development and that taking land from the school affects its capacity, which she put at 107 percent.

Vancouver School Board criticized after it moves to issue 99-year lease to developerReporting · CBC

August 4, 2024Video report

Global News

Vancouver high schools in need of seismic upgrades

Global News interviewed Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, about a school district report that found two thirds of Vancouver high schools at risk of damage or collapse in an earthquake. voche.me read the programme description and did not watch the video.

Vancouver high schools in need of seismic upgradesReporting · Global News

July 31, 2024Reporting

Vancouver Sun

Vancouver high schools at high earthquake risk: Report

The Vancouver Sun quoted Cheng, as chair of the district parent advisory council, saying high schools on the west side of Vancouver have more earthquake-safe seats than those on the east side.

Vancouver high schools at high earthquake risk: ReportReporting · Vancouver Sun

September 8, 2023Reporting

The Globe and Mail

Vancouver parents raise alarm as school board looks to close schools in growing neighbourhoods

The Globe and Mail quoted Cheng, as vice-president of the Graham Bruce Elementary parent advisory council, on the board's proposal to sell or lease part of the school field. She said the plan lacked transparency and that land disposed of now would never come back.

Vancouver parents raise alarm as school board looks to close schools in growing neighbourhoodsReporting · The Globe and Mail

June 15, 2023Reporting

CTV News

Parents shocked as Vancouver School Board looks to sell or lease part of school property

CTV quoted Cheng, as a Graham Bruce Elementary parent, saying the board had not told parents its capital plan priorities and that none of the plans included seismic upgrades to the school.

Parents shocked as Vancouver School Board looks to sell or lease part of school propertyReporting · CTV News

October 18, 2016Reporting

Global News

Vancouver parents criticize school board dismissal, petition minister

Global News quoted Cheng, as a parent, when parents took their Save Our Schools petitions to the provincial government's Vancouver offices the day after the Province dismissed the school board.

Vancouver parents criticize school board dismissal, petition ministerReporting · Global News

October 18, 2016Reporting

CityNews Vancouver

East Van parents present 18K signatures against school closures

CityNews reported that a group of parents delivered 18,342 signatures against school closures to the education minister's office, and quoted Cheng saying families needed certainty to plan for their children.

East Van parents present 18K signatures against school closuresReporting · CityNews Vancouver

September 13, 2016Reporting

Vancouver Sun

Fourth generation of students among school closure protesters

The Vancouver Sun named Cheng among the parents who organized a petition drive over the summer of 2016, and reported that parents brought more than 11,000 signatures to the school board offices.

Fourth generation of students among school closure protestersReporting · Vancouver Sun

September 12, 2016Reporting

CTV News

'Save our schools': 11,000 sign petition to prevent Vancouver closures

In a report on a petition with 11,000 signatures against school closures, CTV quoted Cheng, as a parent, saying the school near her home was needed then and would be needed in 10 years.

'Save our schools': 11,000 sign petition to prevent Vancouver closuresReporting · CTV News

Research / 65 linked sources

Check the evidence

Sources checked October 8, 2026. Official records establish decisions; campaign material establishes stated positions; reporting adds investigation and context. None alone establishes every claim.

Official record 4 sources

Election dates and voting information
City of Vancouver
Where to vote
City of Vancouver
The King Charles III Coronation Medal recipients
Government of British Columbia · September 18, 2024
Board meeting minutes, October 1, 2025
Vancouver School Board · October 1, 2025

Campaign 17 sources

COPE school board candidates and platform
COPE Vancouver
Melanie Cheng campaign home page
melaniecheng.ca
My Journey
melaniecheng.ca
Melanie Cheng, COPE for Vancouver | 2026 BC Local Elections candidate profile
VoteMate
Fight for Vancouver: COPE 2026 election platform (PDF)
COPE Vancouver · September 28, 2026
COPE Members Nominate Stephanie Allen for Mayor; Pick 2026 Election Slate
COPE Vancouver · May 12, 2026
Awards
melaniecheng.ca
Growth Without Classrooms: Vancouver's School Planning Crisis
melaniecheng.ca · March 2, 2026
83,000 new homes in 10 years: Vancouver schools and the City's planning gap
melaniecheng.ca · March 9, 2026
Restore Safe and Caring Schools Funding in Vancouver
melaniecheng.ca · September 2, 2025
70% Increase in School-Age Child Care Fees in Vancouver
melaniecheng.ca · August 16, 2025
Instagram post on school subdivisions and closures, September 29, 2026
@melaniechengofficial on Instagram · September 29, 2026
Instagram post on music cuts in schools, October 1, 2026
@melaniechengofficial on Instagram · October 1, 2026
Instagram post on parent council motions and an endorsement, October 2, 2026
@melaniechengofficial on Instagram · October 2, 2026
Instagram collaboration post by COPE and Cheng on the COPE school board team, October 1, 2026
@copevancouver and @melaniechengofficial on Instagram · October 1, 2026
Media Interviews
melaniecheng.ca
Instagram video with Adrian Dix and Don Davies, October 5, 2026
@melaniechengofficial on Instagram · October 5, 2026

Reporting 40 sources

Board's plan to subdivide soccer field raises fears of Vancouver schools losing playing surfaces
CBC · June 15, 2023
Vancouver developer pays $8.5M for 99-year lease of school property
CBC · December 7, 2024
After controversial land deal, Vancouver school's basketball courts are set to become rental housing
CBC · November 17, 2025
Vancouver School Board to hear discussion on closing city's oldest school
CityNews Vancouver · November 24, 2025
Antisemitism Training for Vancouver Parents Sparks Controversy
The Tyee · October 29, 2024
Asked to Improve Transparency, School Board Keeps Private Meetings
The Tyee · November 6, 2025
Where Do Vancouver Parties Stand on AI?
The Tyee · August 11, 2026
Density without classrooms: the growing crisis in Vancouver's school planning
CityHallWatch · February 23, 2026
Stealth changes to Vancouver's draft Official Development Plan removed school land protections
CityHallWatch · March 6, 2026
When new family housing comes without childcare: a warning sign
CityHallWatch · February 11, 2026
Vancouver's 2026 civic election candidate list is set
Daily Hive · September 22, 2026
Vancouver School Board votes to close Sir Guy Carleton Elementary School
CBC · December 17, 2025
OneCity, COPE choose candidates for 2026 civic election
Vancouver Is Awesome · May 14, 2026
COPE Vancouver unveils its platform with housing a key priority
Daily Hive · September 28, 2026
VDLC Endorsed Candidates: City of Vancouver
Vancouver and District Labour Council · June 25, 2026
New schools coming to Metro Vancouver, as premier acknowledges more needed
CTV News · November 13, 2025
High school student criticizes lack of transparency at VSB
CityNews Vancouver · November 11, 2025
Coal Harbour elementary school delayed to next fall as costs rise and parents seek clarity
CBC · November 6, 2025
Des parents inquiets pour l'avenir de l'École Carleton
Radio-Canada · October 23, 2025
Vancouver parents organize rally to save land from school closure, development
CTV News · October 21, 2025
Vancouver parents and kids rally for more student seats in public schools
BCIT News · October 21, 2025
'Short-sighted cash grabs': Parents push back as Vancouver school board weighs school closure, condo plan
Vancouver Sun, republished by Yahoo News Canada · October 5, 2025
'Still waiting': Parents rally for elementary school in Vancouver's Olympic Village
CTV News · October 4, 2025
Rodents revealed: Reports detail hundreds of mouse and rat complaints in schools across Vancouver
CBC · September 2, 2025
B.C. to require all schools to be equipped with AEDs, naloxone
Global News · August 7, 2025
New to B.C. school curriculum in fall: CPR, naloxone, cardiac arrest kits
Vancouver Sun · August 4, 2025
Vancouver city council votes down independent review of School Liaison Officer program
CityNews Vancouver · July 24, 2025
Vancouver School Board trustee faces backlash after post referring to parents concerns as 'spam'
CTV News · May 5, 2025
Trustee Takes Aim at School District Meeting Restrictions
The Tyee · November 22, 2024
B.C. Election: Grading political parties on their education promises
Vancouver Sun · October 12, 2024
Vancouver School Board criticized after it moves to issue 99-year lease to developer
CBC · September 28, 2024
Vancouver high schools in need of seismic upgrades
Global News · August 4, 2024
Vancouver high schools at high earthquake risk: Report
Vancouver Sun · July 31, 2024
Vancouver parents raise alarm as school board looks to close schools in growing neighbourhoods
The Globe and Mail · September 8, 2023
Parents shocked as Vancouver School Board looks to sell or lease part of school property
CTV News · June 15, 2023
Vancouver parents criticize school board dismissal, petition minister
Global News · October 18, 2016
East Van parents present 18K signatures against school closures
CityNews Vancouver · October 18, 2016
Fourth generation of students among school closure protesters
Vancouver Sun · September 13, 2016
'Save our schools': 11,000 sign petition to prevent Vancouver closures
CTV News · September 12, 2016
Melanie Cheng and Adrian Dix: Graham Bruce elementary is a great community school
The Georgia Straight · August 15, 2016

Interview 2 sources

Candidates' Questionnaire Week 1: Meet Your School Board Candidates, And Find Out Why They're Running
The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper) · September 22, 2026
Candidates' Questionnaire Week 2: Generative AI in Schools
The Griffins' Nest (Eric Hamber Secondary student newspaper) · September 28, 2026

Event organizer 1 sources

Parents Talk Climate and AI with Vancouver School Board Trustee Candidates
For Our Kids Vancouver and PACES Vancouver · September 25, 2026

Event listing 1 sources

2026 Vancouver civic election portal, including the list of all candidates meetings
CityHallWatch

No campaign event or forum naming Cheng was found for October 8 to 17, 2026 in CityHallWatch's list of all candidates meetings, read on October 8. The online For Our Kids and PACES forum of October 6 has taken place, and its page names no candidate. The City's candidate list could not be read on October 4, 2026 (HTTP 403, and the reader service returned a security check page). The sociology degree, the two terms as chair of the district parent advisory council, the 2025 provincial parent council motion, the 2025 privacy commissioner decision, the Collingwood Recreation Society role and the 39 music teacher reallocations come only from her own pages and were not confirmed elsewhere. Her endorsements page shows endorsements as images only, with no text, and was not used. Her October 5, 2026 Instagram video with Adrian Dix and Don Davies was not listened to, and a web search on October 8 found no page from either politician's office about it. Of the 47 items on her media list, 16 were not used: 12 are videos or pages whose readable text does not name her, 1 podcast page only repeats the Vancouver Sun report, 2 MSN pages were empty when opened and 1 CBC audio page returned HTTP 404. A person who watches the videos can add them. CTV's report of May 5, 2025 spells her name Melanie Chang and gives her role as president of the district parent advisory council. No report by an independent outlet on her child care fee analysis was found on the list, so the child care score has no point for a dated action. Her Facebook, X and LinkedIn accounts need a sign-in and were not read. Searches in Chinese found no Chinese-language news article about her. COPE's general platform page covers city council issues, so the school board positions come from the party's school board page, its 2026 platform PDF and her own words.

Research status

What voche.me has checked

Evidence reviewed on September 22, 2026: Current campaign material; biographical claims require corroboration.

Campaign page read on September 22, 2026. 2 stated positions and 2 background facts recorded here, each checked against a quotation from that page.

Checks still to do: Verify advisory roles and compare proposals with existing Board policies.

Second review on October 4, 2026: the campaign site, the COPE pages, VoteMate, The Griffins' Nest questionnaires, four recent Instagram posts, the school board's October 1, 2025 minutes and the provincial medal list were read. The medal and the Bruce field decision are now confirmed by official records.

Third review on October 8, 2026, after Cheng wrote to voche.me: all 47 items on her media list were opened. 25 that name her were added, 6 were already on this page, and 16 were not used. Her own site, the COPE page and her VoteMate profile were read again and are unchanged since October 4.

The ballot name, office, ballot number and party label come from the City's final candidate list. Everything described as campaign material is the campaign's own account and has not been confirmed by an independent source.

03 / Background

Experience & community

More than 20 years, dates not stated

Senior paralegal

The campaign site says the work covers estates and trusts and included supporting families after the 2021 heat dome. COPE's page describes Cheng as a senior paralegal.

COPE school board candidates and platform

2016

Parent organizer, Save Our Schools petition

The Vancouver Sun reported in September 2016 that Cheng was among the parents who organized a petition drive against school closures in East Vancouver. CityNews reported that parents delivered 18,342 signatures to the education minister's office in October 2016.

Fourth generation of students among school closure protesters

2023 to 2025

Vice-president, Graham Bruce Elementary parent advisory council, and lead of Save Bruce Field

CBC reported the parent council role in June 2023 while the school board was considering subdividing 0.4 hectares of the school's soccer field. The campaign site says the campaign ran until the field was kept as public land on October 1, 2025.

My Journey

2024 to 2025

Chair, Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council

News reports in this period quote Cheng in the chair's role on school land leases, school closures and school board meeting rules. Her VoteMate profile says she was elected to the role twice.

Vancouver developer pays $8.5M for 99-year lease of school property

2025 to 2026

Organiser, Build Schools Now

CTV News reported that Cheng organized the rally at Vancouver City Hall on October 21, 2025, and BCIT News named her as lead organizer of Build Schools Now. CityHallWatch described her as the organiser behind the campaign, which asks the city, the school board and the province to plan housing and schools together.

Vancouver parents organize rally to save land from school closure, development

Dates not stated

Founding director, Collingwood Recreation Society

The campaign site says Cheng was one of the founding directors of the society, set up, it says, so that people in underserved parts of Vancouver can reach low-barrier recreation. No record from the society was checked.

My Journey

04 / Questions & answers

Questions for the candidate

Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied.

What process should govern decisions to retain, lease or dispose of school property?

No response has been submitted.

How would you balance student learning support, facilities and staffing within the district’s available funding?

No response has been submitted.

Have your own question?

Ask Melanie Cheng directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one.

05 / About this page

Questions about this page

Facts voche.me can state about Melanie Cheng's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.

How did Melanie Cheng do in the 2026 Vancouver municipal election?

Melanie Cheng was elected to School Board with 79,633 votes, 2nd of 31 in the preliminary count. The City of Vancouver published the count, and every candidate's total is on the results page.

Is this an official page for Melanie Cheng?

No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Melanie Cheng's own campaign.

What is Melanie Cheng's ballot number for the 2026 Vancouver election?

Melanie Cheng is number 314 on the City of Vancouver's official 2026 ballot for School Board.

What party did Melanie Cheng run with?

Melanie Cheng ran for School Board with COPE.

Does Melanie Cheng currently hold public office?

Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Melanie Cheng.

How many sources does this Melanie Cheng profile cite?

This profile lists 5 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.

Has Melanie Cheng filed nomination papers for the 2026 election?

voche.me has not yet added a nomination record for Melanie Cheng. This does not mean no nomination paper was filed, only that voche.me has not completed that research yet.

Why do some questions on Melanie Cheng's page show no answer?

The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Melanie Cheng in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.

When was the election Melanie Cheng ran in?

The 2026 Vancouver municipal election, including the School Board race, was decided on October 17, 2026.

06 / Candidate contributions

Space for campaign updates

October 8, 2026

Added 25 reports from her media list, the 2016 petition and a video with Adrian Dix; added a point to the governance score

Cheng wrote to voche.me on October 8, 2026 to say this page did not reflect her work, and sent her media list. voche.me opened all 47 items on it. Added: 24 news reports from 2016 to 2025 that quote or name her; her 2016 commentary with Adrian Dix in The Georgia Straight; her part in the 2016 petition against school closures; the October 21, 2025 rally at Vancouver City Hall; her October 5, 2026 Instagram video with Adrian Dix and Don Davies; and links to her media list and her VoteMate profile. Corrections: the Build Schools Now entry had no source and now cites CTV News and BCIT News. The governance score had no point for a dated action, although The Tyee reported on November 22, 2024 that the parent council executive she chaired passed a motion on school board accountability; that action is now recorded and the score counts it. The biography described the 2016 campaign from her own accounts only and now cites the Vancouver Sun, CityNews and Global News. The line saying the campaign had not been contacted was replaced. The other four scores are unchanged: they count the numbers, costs and dates in a published plan, and the news reports add none. Removed the October 6 online forum and the October 7 advance voting day from the calendar because those dates are before this review.

Read the update

October 4, 2026

Added questionnaire answers, official records and recent posts; corrected the medal note

Added her answers to The Griffins' Nest questionnaires of September 22 and 28, 2026, eight new commitments, four Instagram posts, four analyses from her campaign site, the Vancouver and District Labour Council endorsement, reports by Vancouver Is Awesome and Daily Hive, and the online forum on October 6. Corrections: the biography said no independent record of her King Charles III Coronation Medal was found; the Government of British Columbia's recipient list confirms it. The date the Bruce field was kept as public land is now taken from the school board's minutes of October 1, 2025. The generative AI commitment is now marked as her own position, because her own questionnaire answers state it. The summary of her February 2026 CityHallWatch analysis said the 16,118 approved housing units were spread across the city; the analysis counts them in five neighbourhoods, West End, Downtown, Kitsilano, Fairview and Mount Pleasant, and the summary now says so. Removed the October 3 advance voting day from the calendar because that date is before this review.

Read the update