For more than a century, the Surrey Board of Education has been guiding public education for families in Surrey, White Rock and Barnston Island. Today, the board oversees 124 elementary and secondary schools. With a growing enrolment of more than 69,000 students, Surrey School District is the largest and one of the most diverse of 60 school districts in British Columbia.
Making educational and operational policy decisions about such a large school system requires effective leadership at the local level. The Surrey Board of Education comprises seven members of the community who have been elected to make decisions about the best possible delivery of educational services to learners, while ensuring tax payers’ dollars are spent effectively and efficiently. Each December, the board conducts an election for chairperson and vice-chairperson for the coming year at a public board meeting.
The main tasks of the school trustees are:
- determine educational goals and priorities,
- set district budgets according to those goals and
priorities,
- establish policies,
- plan for the future of the district,
- communicate with the people of Surrey and White Rock about educational matters.
Day-to-day management of the school district is a major task. The Board of Education employs a team of skilled professionals and support staff to carry out this administrative responsibility under the leadership of the superintendent of schools. In the capacity of chief executive officer, the superintendent is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the school district’s operations.
With more than 130 schools, learning centres and district offices and 8,000 employees, the school district is Surrey’s biggest business and largest employer. Effective management of the district’s financial and business affairs is the responsibility of the secretary-treasurer.
The superintendent and the secretary-treasurer sit with trustees at board meetings. They and other senior members of administration may be called upon to assist the board during meetings.
The Board of Education for the Surrey School District has been created under the School Act. Within the limitations of the Act, trustees are empowered to determine local policy for the effective and efficient operation of schools in the district.
School boards have been established in the belief that local people are in the best position to make decisions appropriate to the educational needs of their community. To this end, your trustees have been elected by the people of Surrey and White Rock to make educational decisions on their behalf.
In doing so, the trustees must act as a board, rather than as individuals. Only the board as a whole may make decisions; the chairperson, committees of the board, or individual trustees cannot decide board actions.
Actions requiring decisions by the board are debated at board meetings in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of Order,” then voted on by the trustees.
Regular meetings of the Board of Education are open to the public and are usually held twice each month, on the second and fourth Thursday. In August, the board usually meets on the fourth Thursday and in December, on the second Thursday only. There are no board meetings held in July. Regular board meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and are held in the City of Surrey council chambers in Surrey City Hall, at 14245 56 Avenue.
Special board meetings may be called from time-to-time to deal with emergent issues. These meetings are held at the call of the chairperson.
The board also meets “in-camera” prior to, or following every regular board meeting to deal with items pertaining to personnel, property or litigious matters. In the interest of preserving confidentiality in such matters, all persons other than board members and officers are excluded from attending in-camera meetings.
Your Board of Education believes good two-way communication with the community is necessary if trustees are to offer the sound educational leadership and effective financial management they have been elected to provide. Parents and other members of the community are always welcome to attend regular board meetings.
Through formal delegations or through the question period following each board meeting, members of the public have an opportunity to communicate with the board about district programs and services. Attending board meetings is not only a way to hear what your trustees have to say, it is a chance to have your own voice heard in the operation of the Surrey School District.
A question period is held following each regular meeting at which time members of the audience may direct questions to the board. Such inquiries should pertain to the board’s policies or activities.
Questions are to be written on the form provided at each meeting and submitted to the board during the question period.
Persons or groups who wish to make a presentation to the board should contact the secretary-treasurer, either in writing or by telephone, outlining the matter to be presented and providing the name of the spokesperson at least one week prior to the meeting at which they wish to be heard.
Presentations should be brief; about five minutes. Delegations are allotted a total of 15 minutes, to permit questions from the board members.
If a written brief is to be presented, the delegation should ensure it is provided to the secretary-treasurer at least one week before the meeting so it may be included in the agenda material forwarded to trustees in advance of each meeting.
Delegations are encouraged to discuss their topic freely; however, personal accusations and criticisms will be considered out of order.
Depending upon the complexity of the issue, the board generally responds to matters raised by delegations at the next regular meeting.
Surrey Board of Education
Last Updated: July 6, 2011 |
