Slide Deck 5: School Authorities and School Board Trustees

What would you change about your school or education? Who would you contact about making that change possible?

School Authorities School authorities are the institutions responsible for providing education to students in their regions In Alberta, these are referred to as school boards, school districts or school divisions Each school authority has elected local representatives, called school board trustees

Do you know which school authority your school belongs to?

School Authorities There are 61 publicly funded school authorities in Alberta 42 publicly funded school authorities 17 separate school authorities 4 Francophone regional school authorities

What does a school board trustee do?

School Board Trustees School trustees play a vital role in managing the affairs of the school authority They are accountable to the community and are responsible for setting the direction of the school authority Boards make decisions collectively so school trustees have no individual power

Duties of a School Trustee Setting priorities for the school system based on available resources Adopting an annual budget Maintaining school facilities Developing policies to guide administration Advocating to ensure education remains a public priority

How are school board trustees elected? How is it different from your mayor/reeve or councillor/alderman?

School Board Trustee Elections School board trustees are elected every four years during municipal elections Each school authority establishes smaller areas called subdivisions which trustees represent Subdivisions often include more than one municipality or more than one municipal ward/division Board chairs and vice-chairs are chosen from and by school board members through a vote at an organizational meeting after the election

Voter Eligibility In order to vote for a school board trustee, or to run in the election, you must: Be a Canadian citizen; Be at least 18 years of age; and Have resided in Alberta for the six consecutive months immediately preceding election day and the person’s place of residence is located in the area on election day.

Which school board trustee type will you be voting for?

Voter Choice You can only vote for either the public or separate school authority where you reside Eligible Francophone electors can vote for the Francophone regional authority, as well as either the public or separate school authority if they choose

Separate school authorities You must declare that you are a member of the religious faith that established the separate school authority (Roman Catholic or Protestant)

Francophone regional school authorities You must be Francophone and have a child who is enrolled in a school operated by the Francophone regional school authority Alternatively, you can be prescribed the eligibility to vote if you meet specific criteria

Why is it important for school boards to include representatives from specific backgrounds and communities?

Debrief Do you think school authorities are important? Why or why not? How can you find out about the candidates running for school board trustee? How will you evaluate the candidates? What is most important to you and why?