School Trustee

School Trustee

A school trustee is a member of a board of education elected (a few are appointed) for terms ranging from 2 to 4 years. Membership varies from 5 to more than 20 on some large boards. There are roughly 6000 to 8000 trustees in Canada; the number is decreasing in accordance with a trend toward fewer boards. SCHOOL BOARDS in some provinces pay a stipend to trustees, from a few hundred dollars to more than $40 000 in wealthy jurisdictions. Ontario has now capped these payments at $5000. Most boards include a number of professional people and business executives. Increasingly, in recent years, educators (from other jurisdictions) have become trustees and it is not uncommon to have students elected. Although it is commonly held that school trustees are not politically oriented, the governance of education is a political process and many trustees move on to higher office in municipal, provincial and federal politics.