Board Policies

POLICY

The Board of Trustees has a statutory duty under the Education Act to govern Sturgeon Public Schools through the adoption of written policies.

These policies:

• Provide the framework for effective governance and decision-making;
• Guide the actions of the Board, the Superintendent, staff, students, electors and partner agencies; and
• Communicate the Board’s values, vision and priorities to the Division and the public.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the development, review, amendment and rescission of Board policies are conducted in a transparent, consistent and consultative manner that aligns with legislation and the needs of the Division.

DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this policy:

Policy: A statement of the Board’s intent, beliefs, governing principles and expectations regarding specific areas of responsibility, formally adopted by Board motion to guide future actions.

Board Governance Policy: A policy that applies to the Board’s internal operations and expectations of Trustees.

Administrative Procedure: Directives, procedures and assignment of responsibilities established by the Superintendent to implement Board policy and manage the operations of the Division.

Stakeholders: Individuals or groups affected by a policy or having a vested interest in its implementation. Stakeholders may include, but are not limited to, students, parents, staff, school councils, associations, unions, community members and partner organizations.

Policy Criteria:

All Board policies shall:

1. Comply with the Education Act, Board Procedures Regulation and other applicable provincial and federal legislation;

2. Align with the Board’s vision, mission and priorities and other Board policies;

3. Provide clear direction while allowing the Superintendent to exercise professional judgment in administration;

4. Be stated broadly enough to guide diverse situations while ensuring system-wide consistency;

5. Be capable of implementation, monitoring and evaluation; and

6. Be developed or reviewed with appropriate stakeholder engagement, proportionate to the policy’s scope, potential impact and level of public trust.

Process for Policy Development and Review

The Board shall follow a structured process for policy development and review unless an emergent situation requires expedited action.

1.1 Initiation

1.1.1 Policy changes may be initiated by the Board, a Board Committee, the Superintendent or through a written request from stakeholders.

1.1.2 Requests must include a rationale and, where possible, supporting data or examples.

1.2 Planning

1.2.1 The Board, in consultation with the Superintendent, will determine whether to proceed with development, review or recession.

1.2.2 The Superintendent may be directed to prepare background information, legislative references, sample policies and potential impacts.

1.3 Development

1.3.1 Draft policies may be prepared by the Board, a Board Committee, or the Superintendent, as directed.

1.3.2 Drafts shall be reviewed by the Superintendent for legislative compliance and operational feasibility before presentation to the Board.

1.4 Consideration and Consultation

1.4.1 Unless otherwise determined by the Board, new or substantively amended policies shall be considered at least twice before final approval.

1.4.1.1 First Consideration: Board discussion and direction for consultation.

1.4.1.2 Stakeholder Consultation: Conducted in accordance with Section 2 and as coordinated by the Superintendent.

1.4.1.3 Second Consideration: Review of consultation feedback, possible amendments and motion for approval.

1.4.2 The Board may approve policies in a single meeting when urgency requires.

1.5 Approval

1.5.1 Policies are approved by Board motion at a Public Board meeting.

1.5.2 Policies take effect upon approval unless a different effective date is specified.

1.6 Review

1.6.1 Each policy will be reviewed at least once every four (4) years unless otherwise determined by the Board.

1.7 Recission

1.7.1 The Board may rescind a policy at any time and, if appropriate, delegate the matter to the Superintendent for management through administrative procedures.

Stakeholder Engagement

2.1 Stakeholder engagement is a valued part of policy development and review.

2.2 The nature, scope and method of consultation shall be determined by the Board in consultation with the Superintendent.

2.3 Consultation shall be proportional to the policy’s potential impact on student learning, Division operations and public interest.

Accountability and Reporting

3.1 The Superintendent shall ensure that all Board-approved policies and administrative procedures are posted on the Division’s website and accessible to staff, students, parents and the public.

3.2 The Superintendent shall inform the Board in a timely manner of substantive changes to administrative procedures related to Board policy.

3.3 The Board shall evaluate policy implementation through regular Superintendent reports and as part of its own annual evaluation.

References:

Education Act, Sections 33, 41, 42, 222
Board Procedures Regulation 82/2019
Administrative Procedure 205: Developing Administrative Procedures

History

2019 Apr 24 Initial Approval
2020 Jan 29 Reviewed
2021 Oct 27 Reviewed
2022 Jun 22 Amended
2025 Sep 24 Amended