Roles and Duties of Trustees

As members of their school board, trustees collectively carry out many important duties. These include:

  • Electing a board chair
  • Establishing the board’s mission, vision, and value statements
  • Maintaining a focus on student achievement and well-being
  • Developing and evaluating policies that are operationalized by the director
  • Allocating resources by approving the annual board budget
  • Managing board facilities by setting policies and approving capital plans
  • Ensuring support services are provided
  • Communicating with stakeholders and establishing processes for community input
  • Adhering to policies that address the hiring, transfer, promotion and termination of all board staff
  • Ensuring staff are well supported by setting policies about health and safety, accessibility, etc.
  • Ensuring there are mechanisms in place to recognize students, staff, community members and volunteers
  • Providing advice to the ministry and provincial trustee associations regarding regional and local implications for new policy recommendations
  • Advocating on behalf of and communicating with board communities
  • Striking and maintaining committees as required by legislation/regulation, or as needed locally
  • Filling vacancies on the board

Two of the most important responsibilities that boards of trustees have are:

  • The development and monitoring of the multi-year strategic plan (MYSP)
  • The hiring and performance appraisal of the director of education
What does this mean for Catholic families in York Region?

The Â鶹ӳ»­ has established policies and procedures to ensure that parents will have their specific questions answered and/or concerns addressed. Trustees are always willing to listen to parental concerns, especially those pertaining to Board policy. Trustees will refer parents to the following protocol with respect to individual school-based concerns:

  • Your classroom teacher and/or school principal is the first point of contact for any questions or concerns you may have;
  • Should you need further assistance, your Area Superintendent of Education is available to assist you;
  • In the event of any outstanding question and/or concern, please contact the Associate Director;
  • The Director of Education is always available for consultation and assistance with unresolved issues.