School Council
School Council Elections
School Council elections will take place from 4 February 2026 and is always welcoming of new members so please don’t hesitate to put yourself forward if you are interested.
Newport Lakes Primary School Council consists of:
8 elected parent positions, 3 elected DET positions, 0 Community members.
We have six (6) parent and one (1) DET vacancies to be filled.
If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for another school parent to nominate you or you can nominate yourself. Nomination forms are available from the office.
Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the office within the time stated on the notice of election which is stated below.
If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted in the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.
2026 Election Timeline
| Notice of School Council elections and call for nominations | 4 February 2026 |
Close of nominations.
| 11 February 2026 at 4pm
|
Display list of candidates, nominator & seconder | 13 February 2026 |
Prepare ballot papers and Distribute | On or before Wednesday, 18 February 2026 |
Close of ballot | 4pm Wednesday, 25 February 2026 |
Count votes & declare ballot | 9am Friday, 27 February 2026 |
| First Council meeting to elect office bearers(the Principal will preside) | Tuesday, 10th March 2026 |
What is a school council and what does it do?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided 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?
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 employed 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 school council. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
An optional Community member category. Its members are appointed by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. DET employees are not eligible to be Community members.
The term of office for all members is two years. Half the members must retire 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 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 and call for nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All school council elections must be completed by the end of March.
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 employed are eligible to nominate as parents for the school council where their child is enrolled
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.
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.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Carly Bannon on 9391 8942 for further information.
SCHEDULE 4: NOTICE OF ELECTION AND CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
An election is to be conducted for members of the school council of
NEWPORT LAKES PRIMARY SCHOOL
Nomination forms may be obtained from the school and must be lodged by 4.00 pm on Wednesday, 11 February 2026.
If a ballot is required, ballot papers will be distributed on Wednesday, 18 February. The ballot will close at 4:00pm on Wednesday 25 February 2026.
Following the closing of nominations a list of the nominations received will be posted at the school. The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:
MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY | TERM OF OFFICE | NUMBER OF POSITIONS |
| Parent member | From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll in 2026 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2028 |
6 |
| DET employee member | From the day after the date of the declaration of the poll in 2026 to and inclusive of the date of the declaration of the poll in 2028 |
1
|
If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted in a prominent position at the school.