Upcoming Important Dates:
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Election Day: Monday, October 16, 2017
What do school board trustees do?
School board trustees are local politicians elected by and accountable to the community they serve. The provincial government delegates to school boards the responsibility for conducting the affairs of the school jurisdiction. The school board has many responsibilities, including:
- setting school division goals that ensure students have the knowledge and skills that enable them to be better prepared for life;
- planning school division priorities based on provincial curriculum requirements, community input, available resources and best practices in education;
- developing and implementing an annual budget for the school division based on curriculum requirements and strategic priorities;
- developing policies to guide school division administration and employees toward division goals;
- ensuring residents of the school division are regularly informed about the work and achievements of the school division;
- advocating on behalf of the school community to decision-makers and stakeholders on important issues that affect education, and to ensure education is a top public priority;
- ensuring regular opportunities for public input and access;
- evaluating the school division’s chief executive officer – the superintendent of schools.
Do I have what it takes to be a successful school board trustee?
Successful school board trustees put the needs of students first. They run for office because they passionately believe a quality education is one of the most important things a community can do to ensure students have the knowledge and skills that enable them to be better prepared for life.
You don’t need to be an expert in education. The school board trustee does not serve as a professional educator or as the spokesperson for a particular interest group or region. The ideal school board includes people from all aspects of life and is as representative as possible of the community it serves.
Who is eligible to vote?
You are eligible to vote in a public school division election if, on election day, you:
- are at least 18 years old;
- are a Canadian citizen;
- have lived in Alberta for at least six consecutive months immediately preceding election day;
- live within the boundaries of the local jurisdiction on election day.
Conflict of interest
Trustees may not participate in making decisions in which their economic self-interest may be in conflict with their public duty. The economic or pecuniary interest of a trustee’s spouse or adult interdependent partner is deemed to be the economic interest of the trustee. See sections 80 to 91 of the School Act for more information on:
- the types of pecuniary interest;
- the steps a trustee who is in conflict must follow;
- the disqualification of a trustee;
- the consequence of refusing to resign upon being disqualified as required under the School Act.
See the School Act for more details. The most current version is posted online on the Alberta Queen's Printer.