EFMABC member profile – Tyson Sauser

Tyson Sauser

School District No. 62, Sooke

A growing district leads to opportunity for growth; something Tyson Sauser, Manager of Facilities for Sooke School District No. 62, recognized early his career and so he began planning.

Sauser worked with SD No. 62 on Vancouver Island for eight years as a grounds foreperson where he witnessed the continuous expansion within the school district. Increased staffing needs and student enrollment combined with upcoming retirements, Sauser began preparing and updated his education so he would be ready when the need was presented. “Our district is a growing district, and I could tell that there would be opportunities coming available if I just put my best foot forward.”

Now, as the Manager of Facilities for one year, Sauser says the extra time and effort he invested was well worth it. “The position is certainly challenging but it’s something I knew I wanted to do for a while,” he says. “In my nine years with Sooke School District, I’ve developed good relationships within the district including school admin teams, facilities staff, and various other departments, and it’s through those relationships that I knew this is somewhere I wanted to be and grow.”

As a 24hour response position, a typical day doesn’t really exist for Sauser other than to expect the unexpected. “It’s a lot of response, a lot of communication, and a lot of connecting with district and outside groups to ensure that our schools are functioning safely and if or when issues arise, we are sending the proper staff and resources to address them.”

As a growing school district, Sauser says there is a lot of discussion around how that growth will look and how they can position themselves in the future to best support it. Sooke School District has approximately 12,000 students over 27 schools and serves the communities of Sooke, Port Renfrew, Metchosin, Highlands, Langford, and Colwood. The school district is expected to grow by more than 300 students per year for the next 15 years.

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Sauser enjoying island life with his family and dogs.

The district opened the newest of its schools, Pexsisen Elementary School in September, with Centre Mountain Lellum Middle School scheduled to open in November, and a third school currently in planning stages.

“One of our biggest challenges is that we’re growing quite rapidly and we’re trying to adapt to that while running daily operations,” says Sauser. “So, there’s a lot of responsibilities, not just for me, but for a lot of people from managers, facilities services staff, directors, and senior leadership trying to navigate this growth and put the right things in place to make sure everybody’s Working with the management team and the staff is proving to be a great experience for Sauser and he believes that the support they provide will only get better.

supported. It’s a lot of work on everybody’s plate but it is very rewarding.”

Outside of the district, Sauser spends time with his wife and two daughters, hiking, enjoying the outdoors, and attending the girls’ sports events. As an avid golfer, Sauser also likes to spend time on the golf course on the rare occasion when he has a few hours to spare.

Sauser is also looking forward to attending his first EFMABC conference in 2023 where he will have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of his counterparts from other districts and share their own professional experiences.

Working with the management team and the staff is proving to be a great experience for Sauser and he believes that the support they provide will only get better. “We’re a great team,” he says. “We collaborate and support each other. It’s a great work environment with lots of room to learn and grow.” n

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