SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS

Our School Council elections commence Friday the 8th March with the calling of four parent nominations, one DET(teacher) nominations, and one community nomination. The process for election is through nomination by yourself or by members of the community. It is a rewarding and interesting experience. Parents on School Council provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school. Nomination forms are attached below and are available from the office or we can email a copy at your request.

I thank our school council members for giving up their time and for the contribution that they have made to our school. Retiring members are still able to renominate if they have students enrolled at our school. I also encourage other members of our school community to consider nominating.

The election timeline is:

■ Monday 17th Feb, 2025 -Notice of election and call for nominations

■ Friday 28th Feb, 2025 - Closing date for nomination

■ Monday 3rd March, 2025 - Date by which the list of candidates and nominations will be posted

■ Monday10th March, 2025 - Close of ballot (if needed)

For Parents

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They have legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within statewide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

Who is on the school council?

For most school councils, there are three possible categories of membership:

■ A mandated elected Parent category - more than one-third of the total members must be from this category Department of Education and Training (DET) employees can be Parent members at their child's school as long as they are not engaged in work at the school.

■A mandated elected DET employee category - members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of the school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.

■ An optional Community member category - members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests, or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members. Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.

Why is Parent membership so important?

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

How can you become involved?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant. In view of this, you might seriously consider standing for election as a member of the school council or encouraging another person to stand for election. Do I need special experience to be on the school council? No. What you do need is an interest in your child's school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school's future.

What do you need to do to stand for election?

The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for Nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual time line has been varied by the Minister. If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent category.DET employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not engaged in work are eligible to nominate for parent membership of the school council at that school. Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt in the mail following the receipt of your completed nomination. Generally, if there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.

Remember

■ Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do

■ Consider standing for election to council this year

■Be sure to vote in the elections.

Contact the principal for further information.

Ballan Primary School

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School Council Elections · 17 Feb 2025

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