Slide Deck 7: School Trustees

What is the name of our school district? What are boards of education?

School Districts British Columbia’s public school system is managed by 60 school districts. Each school district uses money it receives from the provincial government to operate schools in their geographic area, or the province as a whole in the case of the Francophone school district.

School Trustees Each school district has a group of locally elected representatives known as school trustees Trustees are members of the board of education (school board) British Columbians elect their boards of education to improve student achievement according to the diverse needs, priorities and unique educational requirements of the communities they represent.

The Role of the Board of Education Creating a multi-year plan and vision for the board Setting goals for student achievement Working with school councils and parent councils Approving textbook and learning materials Developing rules for safety and behaviour Determining the number, size and location of schools Overseeing financial decisions and the annual budget

Board Decision-Making Individual trustees cannot make decisions on their own. The board of trustees make decisions together as a group. If the board wants to take a particular action or make a decision, a motion or proposal must be voted on. Motions are passed if they have majority support (support from more than half of the trustees). Boards of education make policies. A policy is a rule or action to achieve certain outcomes.

Role of Individual School Trustees School trustees act as a link between local communities and the school board and are responsible for responding to issues in their communities Trustees are required to consult with parents, students and community members on the board's multi-year plan and bring their concerns to the board table

How are School Trustees elected? School trustees are elected every four years during local elections Each school district is divided into one or more electoral areas The number of electoral areas and number of trustees elected from each electoral area depends on each community Every year, school trustees elect one of their members to act as chair of the board.

Final Thoughts What qualities do you look for in a school trustee? What personal characteristics would the school trustee possess? What skills or work experience would they have? What would be their motivation to become a school trustee? What priorities would they have?