by Heather Walkinshaw

Becoming a board member - Why not join our school board?

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This year we will begin the process for a by election to add 4 new members to our Board of Trustees. We will be seeking interested parents to be part of our active Board of Trustees. The term of this elected Board will be approx 18 months. Could this be a great way for you to be actively involved in the school?

The following is an Election Timeline approved by the Board of Trustees in 2023.

  • Main voting Roll closes 7 February  (all registered parents and legal guardians of students enrolled at school are on this roll automatically)
  • Call for nominations 9 Feb (Forms will be sent out - you can nominate yourself, or a community member who has no children at school, can get a parent to nominate them)
  • Close Supplementary Roll 26 Feb (For parents/guardians of any new enrolments up to 26 Feb)
  • Nominations close (at Noon) 28 Feb
  • Voting Papers Issued  6 March (If 4 or less nominations then no election required.  Those nominated automatically become the Board as of 7 March)
  • Election Closes 4pm. 3 April
  • Accept postal voting until 8 April
  • Count votes 9 April
  • Declare Result  9 April
  • New Board takes effect 10 April 2023

Our meetings are held twice a term in the evening.  They last approx 2 hours although the first couple of meetings may be a little longer as an introduction to 'life as a Board member' is covered.  The main skills we seek are people with an interest in working in a collaborative environment to provide the best schooling opportunities for all children in a safe environment.  However skills in finance, property management, employment or Health and safety are advantageous.

The role of the Board is school governance.  All the Policies and Procedures are in place and these are reviewed by the Board over a three year timeframe.

What are school boards?

All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a school board which is the Crown entity responsible for the governance of the school.

The board:

  • ensures every student can reach their highest possible standard in student achievement
  • is the employer of all staff in the school
  • sets the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, whānau, staff, students and the wider school community
  • is responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration

Board membership

There are three types of representative members who are elected onto the board. These "representative" board members are elected by the parent community, staff members and, in the case of schools with students above Year 9, the students.

There are also other types of board members, including the principal, co-opted and appointed board members.

A standard school board's membership includes:

The board can co-opt additional people onto the board for gender, skill or ethnic balance, and the Minister of Education can appoint an additional board member.


More information

The New Zealand School Trustees website has more information about Boards.