About School Trustees

The Purpose of the Position of Trustees

The primary purpose of the school trustee is to represent the parents and the needs of the school children in the area the board or district represents. Trustees participate in the discussions and decisions of the school boards. Federal and provincial legislation describe the responsibilities of the school trustee as:

To attend meetings of the school boards and exercise the powers and the duties of a trustee in good faith.
To comply with the requirements of the regulations concerning conflict of interest.
To comply with all the requirements of the School Act, the Regulations and Minister's directives.

Therefore, the trustee is not only a decision-maker, acting in concert with the other trustees on the Board, but is also an agent of the Minister of Education to ensure the School Act, the Regulations and Minister's directives are followed.

Responsibilities of Trustees

Section 49 of the School Act outlines the responsibilities of the school boards. Ultimately, it is up to the school board to ensure fulfilment of its responsibilities. These responsibilities are:

The provision of instruction in an educational program to all those enrolled and eligible.
To provide for the management of staff and its staff development needs.
To provide for and manage facilities and equipment.
To provide transportation for students.
To manage the financial affairs of the school board.
To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of schools.
To ensure the development and approval of school improvement plans.
To encourage good relations among schools, parents and the community, and to promote awareness of the importance of education.

Section 50 of the School Act outlines areas in which a school board may develop policies. They include providing educational programs and services, the administration and management of staff, facilities and equipment, as well as the financial affairs of the board, the suspension and expulsion of students, student attendance, assessment of students, conducting pilot or local programs, and finally, the management of volunteer services.

Requirements of a Trustee

Trustees:

must be a Canadian citizen,
must be a resident in the school unit for at least six months prior to the election day, and
cannot be an employee of any school board or the Department of Education.

French Language School Board trustees must meet one of the following qualifications:

must be the parent of a student receiving French first language instruction on PEI, or
must be eligible to have a child receive French first-language instruction, or
must be eligible to have a child receive French first-language instruction, if the candidate had a child.

Nomination

To be nominated as a candidate for school trustee, any 10 or more persons, who also meet the requirements to be a trustee, as stated above, may nominate a candidate for the zone in which the nominator resides. The nomination is made by filing, with the zone returning officer, a nomination paper in the form approved by the Chief Electoral Officer, at any time between the beginning date of the election campaign and 4:00 p.m. on nomination day.

Nomination day will be Friday, the seventeenth day before ordinary polling day. Following nomination day, the Chief Electoral Officer determines the eligibility of candidates. The names of all eligible candidates will be published in provincial newspapers. Details regarding the electoral zones and polling stations will also be published at that time.

Length of Terms

School trustees are elected for a four-year term. Where an election produces fewer than the prescribed number of trustees of a school board, Executive Council shall appoint, from those eligible to be candidates, the additional members necessary to bring the number of trustees to the total. The term of those appointed is also four years or the amount of the term remaining, up to four years.

For more information...

If you have any additional inquiries regarding a school trustee position please contact:

Department of Education
Second Floor, Sullivan Building
16 Fitzroy Street, P.O. Box 2000
Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Telephone: (902) 368-4600
Facsimile: (902) 368-4663
Website: http://www.gov.pe.ca/education

If you have any additional inquiries regarding the election process for School Trustees please contact:

Elections P.E.I. Office
94 Great George St., 1st Floor
P.O., Box 774, Charlottetown
Prince Edward Island, C1A 7L3

Telephone: (902) 368-5895
Facsimile: (902) 368-6500
P.E.I. Toll Free: 1-888-234-8683 (vote)
Website: http://www.electionspei.ca