School Councils

The 2024 General School Councils' Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

2023 General School Councils' Meeting

The 2023 General School Councils' Meeting was held on Wednesday, April 19. Dr. Lisa Belanger presented on Proactive Mental Health, including supporting mental health in children, taking care of ourselves, so we can take care of the kids, and social media awareness.

The Division Update, a report on news from throughout the division, was produced for and shared during the annual General School Councils' Meeting.

PWPSD General School Councils' Meetings

Through school councils, Albertans have the opportunity to advise the principal and the school board respecting any matter relating to the school. Aside from regular meetings at their schools, the School Council Chair and Secretary/Treasurer are invited to participate in annual General School Councils' Meetings.

History

School councils were established in 1995, to increase parent and community involvement in the education of children in Alberta. Public schools, including charter schools, are required to attempt to establish school councils.

Council Membership

Each school council must include the following members: school principal, teacher(s), parents of students enrolled in the school, student(s) (high schools only).

Parents must form the majority of members. Individual school councils may also decide to include as members one or more persons who are not parents of students enrolled in the school and/or one or more persons who are parents of children enrolled in an Early Childhood Services program at the school.

The School Councils' Regulation

The School Councils Regulation provide clarity and flexibility for establishing school councils to accommodate local circumstances. It reflects what happens in existing school councils and identifies opportunities for involving parents in meaningful activities that relate to school. In addition, Section 13 of the School Councils' Regulation identifies the responsibilities of school boards in relation to school councils.

The Alberta School Councils' Association (ASCA)

ASCA provides school councils with a wealth of resources and information, which can all be found on the ASCA website, including the School Council Resources Guide, a digital publication that is updated each summer. As PWPSD pays for each school council to be a member of ASCA, any resource located in the Members Only section of their website is available. School Council Chairs should complete the organization's contact form to receive full access to the information.

If you'd like to receive ASCA's monthly newsletter, you can subscribe on their website.

Past General School Councils' Meeting Agendas and Minutes - Links