All parents with children attending school are members of their local school council and are encouraged to participate in council activities. Councils usually meet on a monthly basis.
School Councils are established in all schools and serve as a vehicle for parents, school administrators, teachers and support staff to meet and work together toward common goals.
Parent Council Representatives also meet one another, division administrators and representative(s) of the Board of Trustees at the Division Parent Association meetings held 6 times per year typically held at the Board Office:
Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, 1251 - 1 Avenue SW, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 8B4 403-527-2292
Parents may also participate by becoming a trustee in the School Division. Trustees are elected for a four year term. Those community members that are interested please contact the Catholic School Board Office, the Office of the Superintendent for more information. The Role of the Trustee is detailed in Policy 3 in the Board Policy Handbook.
Board Policy Handbook - Role of the Trustee
School Boards and Provincial Governing bodies recognized the value of parental involvement in education leading to the provincial government legislations to support the advisory role of School Councils to School Act in 1994.
Contact your local school for more information about School Councils.
Resources for School Councils
- School Act - Refer to Section 22 for information pertaining specifically to School Councils.
- School Councils Regulation - Outlines specific legal requirements of School Councils.
- Personal Information Protection Act - The provincial privacy legislation that governs School Councils and Fundraising Societies.
- Alberta School Councils Association (ASCA) - ASCA is a province-wide organization of School Councils with a mission to engage and support parental involvement in public education through school councils, and direct parental views and voice into the education system.
- Refer to ASCA's Alberta School Council Resource Manual (2007) for information on the operation of school councils and on key topics of importance to school councils and other education stakeholders. It is a comprehensive tool that will facilitate school council effectiveness which, in turn, will support school improvement.
- Personal Information Protection Act - Frequently Asked Questions for School Councils and School Fundraising Societies (2010).
- Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act - Frequently Asked Questions for School Jurisdictions(2007).
- Policy and Requirements for School Board Planning and Results Reporting (April 2011)
Contains provincial requirements for Alberta public, separate, and francophone school authority three-year education plans for 2011-2014 (due November 30, 2011) and annual education results reports (AERR) on the 2010/2011 school year (also due November 30, 2011).
