The 91原创 school district鈥檚 money problems cast a long shadow over the first all-candidates meeting Tuesday night, before an audience of about 120 people at Brookswood Secondary School.

The issue dominated the two-hour meeting, with the incumbent trustees and the people who want to replace them both saying they were shocked to learn the district was millions of dollars in debt.

Where they disagreed was over the best way to handle the fiscal crisis, with the incumbent trustees insisting they鈥檝e done everything that could be done by agreeing to provincial government demands for quick repayment, while their would-be replacements said the board should have fought harder to preserve important programs.

The event was organized by the unions that represent local teachers and school support staff, who arranged to have the trustees file on stage to the music of 鈥淧omp and Circumstance鈥� playing on the speakers.

The theme of the evening was established early on, when a tape recorded message was played from absent candidate Candy Ashdown, whose father is in hospital.

Ashdown berated the provincial government for 鈥渦nderfunding鈥� 91原创 schools.

鈥淚t鈥檚 time to build our district back to what it was, a leader in the province,鈥� Ashdown said.

While Ashdown and the other candidates seeking a first term tended to talk about doing more to protect quality of education, incumbents seeking re-election tended to talk about the financial hit the district has taken and how its options are limited.

鈥淥ur schools have been hit harder than most,鈥� said incumbent Wendy Johnson.

鈥淚t isn鈥檛 looking very good for the next three years, to be honest,鈥� Johnson added.

Pamela Rose Combs suggested the board should press for more money from Victoria.

鈥淭he government needs to realize that we鈥檙e underfunded,鈥� Combs said.

But she agreed many of the cuts could not be avoided.

鈥淓verything comes to down to funding ... you have to be prepared to make those tough decisions,鈥� Combs said.

Douglas Smuland, who works as a teacher in a different school district, said he isn鈥檛 confident that the provincial government which created the financial woes of the 91原创 district is the best agency to solve them.

Incumbent Rod Ross said the board had few options because the province controls the money.

鈥淲e have numbers we have to live with,鈥� Ross said.

鈥淲e have done the best to manage our situation,鈥� Ross added.

Incumbent Cecelia Reekie said she hopes some of the spending cuts can be restored, such as the elimination of an aboriginal Kindergarten program.

Candidate Kari Medos said the district should campaign harder to reverse cuts to important resources like school counsellors.

鈥淭he voice that goes to Victoria has to be very loud,鈥� Medos said.

Megan Dykeman said cutting counselling is short-sighted.

鈥淚 think it will cost our district more money [in the long run]鈥� Dykeman said.

Incumbent trustee Alison McVeigh said the cuts could not be avoided.

鈥淚t has pained me greatly that we have had to make the cuts we had to make,鈥� McVeigh said.

She promised she would work to 鈥済et it back鈥� if re-elected.

John McKendry, who currently runs Kwantlen Polytechnic University, hinted the incumbents should have seen the debt crisis coming, saying he鈥檚 鈥渉ad to close programs and campuses,鈥� but always with plenty of advance warning.

Kirsten Schaffer-Charlesworth said creative solutions can be found to mitigate cuts.

鈥淭hink outside the box.鈥� Schaffer-Charlesworth said.

When the issue of resources for special needs students came up, trustee Stacy Cody said the district simply isn鈥檛 getting enough funding.

鈥淭he money that has come across our table from government has never been enough,鈥� Cody said.

Incumbent Rob McFarlane said trustees had to make hard decisions.

鈥淭his is where the rubber hits the road and the students are paying the price,鈥� McFarlane said.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 use underfunding by the province as an excuse,鈥� he added.

Candidate Brian Leonard called for a 鈥渘eeds assessment鈥� to convince the province to improve funding.

A second meeting for the trustee candidates will be held tonight (Thursday) at Christian Life Assembly (21277 56 Ave.) from 7 to 10 p.m.