Secondary PowerPoint 4: School Divisions and School Board Members

If you could change anything about your school, what would it be? Who would you contact about making that change possible?

School Divisions School divisions are the institutions responsible for providing education to students in their regions. There are 28 publicly funded school boards in Saskatchewan: 18 English regional school divisions, nine separate school divisions and one Francophone school division that covers the whole province.

The Role of a School Division Overseeing and evaluating student achievement Communicating with members of the community Approving textbooks, tools and learning materials Developing rules for safety and behaviour Determining the number, size and location of schools Approving an annual budget

School Board Members School board members provide a link between local communities and the school division, bringing the issues and concerns of their communities to board discussions and decisions. School board members have no individual authority; the board makes decisions as a whole.

School Board Members Elections School board members are elected every four years during municipal elections. Each school board establishes smaller areas called sub-divisions in which members are elected to represent. Board 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 in the school board elections, you must meet the same criteria as for the municipal elections. A Canadian citizen; At least 18 years of age; Have resided in the school division for at least three consecutive months immediately preceding the day of the election; Have resided in Saskatchewan for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the day of the election.

CSF school board members The Conseil scolaire fransaskois (CSF) elects a school board member from each of the nine Francophone education areas in the province. They are elected by voters who are minority language adults and speak French, received education in French, or are the parent of a student in a French first language program.

Separate school board members Separate school divisions provide education to members of the Christian community of the province. In Saskatchewan, there are eight Catholic school divisions and one Protestant school division. They are elected by voters who declare that they are a member of the religion that established the separate school division (Catholic or Protestant).

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

Voter Choice You can only vote for one school board member position: either the public or separate school board in the public school division where you live. However, a minority language adult eligible to vote for the Conseil scolaire fransaskois can also vote for one of the public or separate board of education.

Final Thoughts What qualities and skills should you look for in a school board member? What experience should they have? How can you evaluate the school board member candidates? Which school board member type will you be voting for?