What are the roles and

responsibilities for school

trustees?

Who
are
they?

They
They are
are locally
locally elected
elected
representatives
representatives of
of the
the public.
public.
They
They are
are the
the communitys
communitys advocate
advocate
for
for public
public education
education
Nanaiomo:9
Nanaiomo:9 trustees
trustees
Campbell
Campbell River:
River: 77 trustees
trustees
Port
Port Alberni:
Alberni: 77 trustees
trustees

Duties

:: The
The School
School Act
Act provides
provides clarity
clarity about
about school
school trustees
trustees
roles
roles and
and responsibilities
responsibilities
Establishment
Establishment and
and Closure
Closure of
of schools:
schools: open,
open,
close
close or
or reopen
reopen aa school
school permanently
permanently or
or for
for aa specified
specified
period
period of
of time,
time, and
and temporarily
temporarily close
close aa school
school building
building
(For
(For example:
example: The
The Board
Board of
of Education
Education of
of School
School District
District
No.72(Campbell
No.72(Campbell River)
River) decided
decided to
to close
close two
two elementary
elementary schools
schools
this
this year
year due
due to
to an
an insufficient
insufficient Rural
Rural Education
Education Enhancement
Enhancement
Fund
Fund provided
provided by
by the
the Ministry
Ministry of
of Education.)
Education.)

Duties
Duties
Management
Management of
of schools
schools and
and property:
property: aa
board
board is
is responsible
responsible for
for the
the management
management of
of the
the
schools
schools in
in its
its school
school district
district and
and for
for the
the custody,
custody,
maintenance
maintenance and
and safekeeping
safekeeping of
of all
all property
property
owned
owned or
or leased
leased by
by the
the board.
board.
Video
Video surveillance
surveillance cameras:
cameras: aa board
board may
may install
install
and
and operate
operate aa video
video surveillance
surveillance camera
camera in
in aa
school
school facility
facility or
or on
on school
school land
land for
for the
the purposes
purposes of
of
protecting(the
protecting(the prior
prior PAC
PAC approval
approval needed
needed ))

Duties
Duties
Enrolment
Enrolment in
in an
an educational
educational program:
program:
they
they must
must enrol
enrol all
all persons
persons who
who exercise
exercise their
their
entitlement
entitlement to
to enrol
enrol in
in an
an educational
educational program;
program;
may
may refuse
refuse to
to enrol
enrol aa non-school
non-school district
district child;
child; for
for
each
each school
school year,
year, they
they must
must establish
establish aa enrolment
enrolment
date/notifiy
date/notifiy aa parent
parent or
or guardian
guardian
Provision
Provision of
of educational
educational program:
program: must
must
make
make an
an educational
educational program
program available
available to
to all
all
persons
persons of
of school
school age
age who
who enrol
enrol in
in aa school
school in
in the
the
district.
district.

Duties
Duties
Catchment
Catchment areas:
areas: must
must establish
establish aa catchment
catchment
area
area for
for each
each school
school and
and may
may amend
amend aa catchment
catchment
area.
area.
Conducts
Conducts :: must
must ensure
ensure that
that all
all schools
schools are
are
conducted
conducted on
on strictly
strictly secular
secular and
and non-sectarian
non-sectarian
principles;
principles; the
the discipline
discipline of
of aa student
student must
must not
not include
include
corporal
corporal punishment.
punishment.
Class
Class size:
size: must
must ensure
ensure that
that the
the size
size of
of class
class does
does
not
not exceed
exceed (for
(for kindergarten:
kindergarten: 22
22 /for
/for G1
G1 to
to 3:
3: 24/for
24/for G4
G4
to
to 12
12 no
no more
more than
than 30)
30)

Duties
Duties

Appoint
Appoint aa superintendent
superintendent and
and secretary
secretary treasurer.
treasurer.
Determine
Determine local
local policy
policy for
for the
the effective
effective and
and efficient
efficient operation
operation of
of
schools
schools in
in the
the school
school
Make
Make rules
rules
Suspend
Suspend students,
students, in
in accordance
accordance with
with the
the rules
rules
Cause
Cause an
an educational
educational assessment
assessment to
to be
be made
made
Permit
Permit persons
persons other
other than
than students
students to
to utilize
utilize board
board facilities,
facilities,
equipment
equipment and
and personnel
personnel

Duties
Duties

Evaluate
Evaluate and
and recognize
recognize educational
educational activities
activities of
of an
an educational
educational
program
program undertaken
undertaken by
by aa student
student outside
outside of
of the
the school
school
Establish
Establish loan
loan funds
funds or
or bursaries
bursaries for
for students
students and
and spend
spend money
money
received
received by
by donation.
donation.
Prepare
Prepare aa school
school calendar
calendar for
for each
each school
school in
in its
its school
school district
district for
for
each
each school
school calendar
calendar year.
year.

Each
Each Board
Board of
of Education
Education of
of School
School District
District holds
holds public
public board
board
meetings.
meetings. Meeting
Meeting agendas
agendas are
are posted
posted prior
prior to
to the
the meeting
meeting and
and
meeting
meeting minutes
minutes and
and reports
reports are
are also
also posted
posted in
in its
its school
school district
district
website
website

Sources
Sources

http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/LOC/complete/stat
http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/LOC/complete/stat
reg/--%20S%20--/05_School%20Act%20[RSBC%201996]%20c.%
reg/--%20S%20--/05_School%20Act%20[RSBC%201996]%20c.%
20412/00_Act/96412_06.xml
20412/00_Act/96412_06.xml
http://
http://
www.sd72.bc.ca/Board/meetingminutes/Pages/default.aspx
www.sd72.bc.ca/Board/meetingminutes/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.brantnews.com/opinion-story/4481233-explaining-th
http://www.brantnews.com/opinion-story/4481233-explaining-th
e-roles-of-school-principal-superintendent-and-trustee
e-roles-of-school-principal-superintendent-and-trustee
//
https://www.vsb.bc.ca/board-committees
https://www.vsb.bc.ca/board-committees