School boards help shape the future of our communities by governing the education of young people. As citizens of your community, school board trustees make strategic decisions about the direction, delivery and quality of public education. As people entrusted with the care and education of children, we are responsible and accountable to parents and the community at large.
This accountability means it is important to stay in touch with community stakeholders. By doing so, we are in a better position to understand and reflect in our decision making what all citizens value and want from their local public schools.
The board has a responsibility to be in touch with the public's concerns, to make people aware of what the board does and why, and to give citizens every opportunity to have a say in what children learn. Specific responsibilities include:
- communicating, informing and involving parents, staff, and the community-at-large in school board decisions and activities
- setting goals and priorities for the jurisdiction that achieve provincial standards, meet the needs of student and reflect the community’s wishes
- adopting an annual budget that achieves Division priorities
- making and enforcing policies that set out standards and expectations regarding the actions of administration, teachers, and students
- lobbying municipal and provincial governments on education issues of importance to the jurisdiction
- adjudicating policy or decision appeals
- hiring and evaluating the superintendent