New Superintendent

District 57 has a new superintendent

Jan 15, 2020 | 3:17 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – There is a new face heading up School District 57.

Anita Richardson officially took over as Superintendent for the district on January first and has spent the last couple of weeks touring the district, visiting schools.

Richardson is no stranger to the region, as she was both a teacher and principal is Mackenzie from 1999 to 2012, before heading to Alberta. She was in that position when the District was experiencing declining enrolments and had the tough decision of closing schools.

Now, back as Superintendent, she has the opposite challenge of trying to find enough school space for the growing student body.

“Having been in a school that closed, I know how much that hurt the community, how difficult that was. To talk to parents of students who went to that school,” says Richardson. “Schools are hubs in communities and every time you close a school you take a piece of that community.”

She says, while the opposite involves tough decisions around catchment decisions, it’s a better place to be.

Having worked in rural settings her entire career, she was very pleased to see this district operating under a ward system now, which has representation from Mackenzie and the Robson Valley on the Board.