Black Gold School Division

780-955-6025

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School Councils

School Councils were legislated in 1995 under Alberta’s Education Act, and are mandatory for all schools in the public education system, including charter schools.

School Councils are the natural, legislated entity for engagement with the school community to occur, and exist to advise the school and school board. Trustees and School Councils have a unique partnership. which is vital to successfully fulfilling their legislated roles in school communities.

The Black Gold School Division recognizes the value of parents and the community to be engaged in the education of children through school councils. The Division views each school council as a means for parents and community members to work together with the school to support and enhance student learning.

Membership

School Council membership is comprised, as per the School Councils Regulation, Alberta Regulation, of the:

  • Principal
  • Teacher
  • Student (if senior high)
  • Parents of children enrolled in the school must be the majority
  • Others as decided
What do school councils do?

School Councils may:

  • Advise the principal and the Board of Trustees respecting any matter relating to the school, such as:
    • Professional practice standards
    • Alberta Education initiatives
    • Respecting diversity and promoting inclusion
    • Advancing reconciliation
    • Development of school policies
    • Annual Results Report
    • Development of the school budget
    • Education plans
    • Assurance Framework
  • Perform any duty…delegated to it by the Board of Trustees
  • Decide operating procedures for itself
  • Carry out activities related to its advisory role
  • Handle monies

School Councils shall, as per the Education Act, Section 55(8):

  • Establish a dispute resolution process to address disputes between the principal and the school council with respect to policies proposed or adopted for a school.”

School Councils must, as per the School Councils Regulation, Alberta Regulation:

  • 14(2) A School Council must retain at the school a copy of the minutes for each meeting of the School Council and make them available to the board or the public on request.
  • 14(3) School Council must retain the minutes for each meeting of the School Council for at least 7 years.

The chair of a School Council must prepare and provide to the board by September 30 of each year a report:

  • (a) summarizing the activities of the school council in the previous school year, and
  • (b) detailing, in accordance with the policies referred to in section 13(2) of the School Councils Regulation, the receipt, handling and use of any money by the school council in the previous school year.
School Board responsibilities

For its part, the School Board must:

  • Provide the School Council with an opportunity to provide advice on the development of the school’s:
    • Foundation statements, if any, respecting the school’s vision, principles and beliefs,
    • Policies,
    • Annual Education Plan, and annual results report required by the Minister to be reported under section 67 of the Act, and
    • Budget required to be reported under section 139 of the Act
    • provide the school council with
    • The results for the school from provincial assessments and an interpretation of those results, and
    • The same information that the board disseminates to students, parents or electors under section 67(2) of the Act.
Rules and Regulations