SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION 2025

Beaufort Secondary College’s Council has the following composition:

7 Parent Members (elected by parents)
5 Department of Education (DE) employee members.
Four are elected by DE employees, with the Principal acting as an “ex officio” member
2 Student Representatives
3 members co-opted from the school community.

Elected representatives serve a two-year term, with around half up for re-election each year.

Beaufort Secondary College’s Council – 31st March 2024 – April 2025.

PARENTS:

Parents who will retire or are up for re-election: Tanya Kehoe Genevieve Welsh

Gillian Avery Casual Vacancy

Parents who are mid-way through their term: Kim Tiley Cassie Viney

Donna Fraser

STAFF:

Staff who will retire or are up for re-election: Jackie Kerr

Kerry Grant

Staff who are mid-way through their term: Adrian Page

Julie Doyle

STUDENTS:

Students who will retire or are up for re-election: Lochie Welsh

Zarie Tiley

CO-OPTED MEMBERS (2024-25): **

PFA Representative: PFA currently in recess

Community Representative: Ann Greymans

**These positions are filled on a year-by-year basis by the council itself.

The result of all this is that there are 3 parent and 2 DE employee vacancies to be filled at this election for the term of office 1/4/25 to 31/3/26.

2025 Election Timeline:

Notice of election and call for nominations: Wednesday, 5th March

Close of nominations: Tuesday, 18th March (4.00 pm)

Distribution of ballot papers via newsletter (if required) Wednesday, 19th March

Election closes: Tuesday, 24th March (4.00 pm)

Declaration of Poll Results: Tuesday, 24th March

First meeting of 2025-2026 School Council** Tuesday, 24th March

** The co-opted members will be appointed at the first meeting of the 2025-2026 School Council

See the attached documents:

School Council Elections - Information for Parents
Self-nomination Form for Parent Member Category
Nomination Form for Parent Member Category

Other documentation and information will be distributed via the school newsletter.

Under Department of Education and Training Development rules, the Principal is required to be in control of the School Council election process.

School Council Elections - Information for Parents

WHAT IS A SCHOOL COUNCIL AND WHAT DOES IT DO?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within state-wide 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 primary 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 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 school 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 – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experiences. Department employees are not eligible to be community members.

A small number of school councils have Nominee members.

For all schools with a Year 7 and above cohort, there is an additional category of membership:

A mandated elected student member category, with two positions.

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 and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

DO I NEED SPECIAL EXPERIENCE TO BE ON SCHOOL COUNCIL?

Each member brings their own valuable life skills and knowledge to the role. Councillors may need to develop skills and acquire knowledge in areas that are unfamiliar to them. 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.

HOW CAN YOU BECOME INVOLVED?

The most obvious way is to vote in the elections, which are held in Term one each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.

In view of this, you might consider

standing for election as a member of the school council
encouraging another person to stand for election.

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 one 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.

Department 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.

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