BACKGROUNDER
2003BCED0038-000475 May 12, 2003		Ministry of Education
AMENDMENTS TO THE SCHOOL ACT, 2003

School Planning Councils

 

• Under the School Act, every school in British Columbia must have a school planning council.

 

• Councils examine how well students are performing and develop an annual school plan that includes goals and outcomes for student improvement. 

 

• Membership includes one teacher, three parent representatives and the principal.

 

• Under the amended legislation, councils in secondary schools must have one additional member – a student from either Grade 10, 11 or 12.

 

School District Leases

 

• Under the School Act, school boards can lease board property.

 

• Currently, revenue from those leases can be spent only on capital projects.

 

·        The amendment will allow districts to spend in the classroom revenue generated from short-term leases of five years or less that do not provide an option to purchase.  These expenditures will no longer require ministerial approval.

 

• This practice is consistent with generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Enrolment Boundaries or Catchment Areas

 

• Under the School Act, boards are responsible for creating enrolment boundaries, called catchment areas, for every school in the province.

 

·        Students may attend a school outside of their enrolment boundary, provided there is space available.

 

• School boards currently prioritize students in the following order:

1.      Students within the enrolment boundary who attended the school in the previous year.

2.      A child within the enrolment boundary.

 

3.      A child outside of the enrolment boundary who is a resident of the school district.

4.      A child from outside the enrolment boundary and the school district.

 

·        The amendment allows school boards to establish additional rules for processing applications of students wishing to attend a school outside their enrolment boundary.

 

Seniority

 

·        Currently, principals – including vice-principals and directors of instruction – can only accrue seniority as a teacher if they were employed as a teacher immediately before they were hired as a principal.

 

·        The amendment will allow all principals to accrue seniority as a teacher during their tenure as a principal in B.C.

 

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