About Trustees

Each school district in BC is required to have a board of education composed of school trustees locally elected or appointed by the minister of education.

The number of school districts in BC is determined by the Lieutenant Governor in Council (effectively the provincial cabinet), which has the power to create, abolish or alter the boundaries of school districts.

The minister of education determines the number of school trustees for each board of education – which ranges from three, five, seven or nine. If there is more than one electoral area, the minister also determines the number of trustees to represent each area.

School districts are divided into “trustee electoral areas” from which trustees are elected to the board of education for that school district. In some school districts, all trustees are elected “at large,” that is, there is only one trustee electoral area from which all trustees are elected.

Trustee electoral areas may be composed of:

• one or more municipalities
• a combination of municipalities and rural areas, or
• rural area only.

Boards of education may even have some trustees elected at large and others elected from smaller trustee electoral areas.

Who are school trustees?

School trustees are members of your community who have chosen to stand for election to their local board of education. All are Canadian citizens who care deeply about students and public education. Learn more about boards of education and trustees by reading Your Board of Education Q&A.