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Revised (Nov 25 2008)
The board of education
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Questions to consider:
- How do ministry and provincial objectives fit with local concerns and priorities?
- How can we meet our students’ needs and the requirements of the Ministry of Education with the level of funding we are receiving from the ministry?
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The board of education employs all staff required to provide, administer and support education and is ultimately responsible for everything that occurs in the district.
Boards of education make budget decisions that align school districts’ resources with their plans for student achievement. As responsible stewards, boards of education must be able to explain the connections between their vision, goals, plans, policies and resource allocations. Ongoing assessments inform the board, educational professionals, the public and the province about the extent of progress and areas that need attention.
Education leadership involves co-governance between boards and the Ministry of Education. Boards are responsible for carrying out their obligations as set out in the School Act, regulations and ministerial orders. They are also required to obey administrative directives from the minister of education.
Power resides with the board as a corporate body, not with individual trustees. This means that individual school trustees, including the chair, cannot independently exercise the power of the board.
In the broadest sense, the public school community is comprised of provincially and locally elected representatives, senior administrative staff, principals, teachers, support staff, parents and students, along with organized special interest groups such as professional organizations, unions and parent groups. Together, the school system has one common purpose defined by the BC Ministry of Education in its mission statement:
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The Mission Statement: The purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/resourcedocs/k12educationplan/mission.htm
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A team of five, seven or nine locally elected school trustees are collectively responsible for governing their school district. Boards have the power to enact policy and make decisions that affect the way schools and their districts operate. The province delegates this responsibility to boards of education and can create, eliminate or adjust these powers and responsibilities at any time through legislation.
The School Act requires that each board employ a superintendent of schools and a secretary-treasurer. The board sets policy and allocates capital and operating funds to provide education in accordance with provincial curricular standards and requirements.
The board is fully responsible and accountable for the education of each student in the district—a responsibility increasingly monitored by the provincial government and local education partners and the electorate in BC’s communities.
The public expects boards to ensure that community interests are understood, acknowledged and taken into account while also establishing plans for improving student achievement. This is a challenging responsibility, since members of the public often have widely divergent views on priorities, processes and issues.
Section 85 of the School Act gives boards of education general powers to:
- set local policy for the effective and efficient operation of schools
- enact policies governing student conduct and discipline
- employ the staff necessary for school district operations
- establish conditions of employment for employees within the framework of collective bargaining for unionized staff and the regulations regarding compensation for exempt staff
- prepare and approve the district’s operating budget and capital plans
- hear appeals from parents and students where a staff decision significantly affects a student
- approve local courses and resource materials for use in the school district
- approve annual school plans
- prepare district achievement contracts and district literacy plans for improving student achievement
- acquire, own and dispose of school property and make decisions on school facilities, subject to Minister’s orders
Ultimately, the board of education is accountable to the public for achieving these goals, with the public deciding on election day whether or not the sitting board of education has been successful.
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Roles and responsibilities
