Introduction

All school boards in Ontario are governed by a Board of Trustees. The following information has been compiled to help the Thames Valley community better understand the role of the trustee.

Thames Valley has 13 trustees who are elected locally through municipal elections to represent the interests of public education and the various regions of the District. Two secondary students are elected annually to the Board by their fellow students to represent the interests of Thames Valley students and to bring the student perspective to the decision-making process. The student representatives may offer a non-binding vote at the Board table.

Trustees are paid an annual honorarium in accordance with the legislation. The Chair and Vice-Chair are paid an additional honorarium as determined by the Board. The student representative is not paid an honorarium.

The Role of Trustees

The Thames Valley District School Board is committed to improving student learning and education excellence through its Our Vision initiative role (see General Information/Our Vision for a full description of this exciting initiative.) Trustees play a key role in ensuring that these goals are achieved by meeting the program requirements and standards established by Ontario’s Ministry of Education. Their primary responsibilities are ensuring that the Board operates in accordance with the provincial Education Act and that clear, consistent policies are developed.

Trustees ensure that the Thames Valley District School Board:

• operates its schools according to provincial legislation;
• has a vision statement that reflects the Board’s philosophy;
• recognizes local needs and priorities;
• sets the Board’s budget within provincial grants and accompanying regulations;
• implements curriculum according to Ministry of Education policy;
• develops and delivers programs that reflect provincial policies and local priorities;
• hires competent, qualified staff;
• develops effective Board policies to guide system operations;
• monitors the achievement of students, and
• holds the system accountable for meeting provincial and Board standards, through the Director of Education.

Governance Principles and Board By-laws

Following the amalgamation of the four predecessor boards (Elgin, London, Middlesex and Oxford) on January 1, 1998, one of the most significant challenges facing trustees was creating an effective governance structure that would guide the new Thames Valley District School Board.

The following Governance Principles were developed to confirm that the Board of Trustees:

• exists to govern the school system in the best interests of its students;
• is accountable to its public school supporters;
• represents the interests of its students, parents, and the community;
• speaks with one voice through its policies and decisions;
• is responsible for defining the expected outcomes and policies essential to meeting the organization’s mission and beliefs;
• holds the Director of Education accountable for implementation of Board policies and Board decisions.

Establishing the Board’s Bylaws, which outlines how the Board is governed, is an ongoing process. The by-laws may be accessed through the Board’s web site under Board Room/By-laws.

Board Meetings

The Board meets regularly on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month (except during July and August) in the Board Room of the Education Centre, 1250 Dundas Street in London, Ontario. At these meetings, Board decisions are formally made following extensive discussion during the committee process. The meetings also provide an opportunity to showcase the musical talents of students from across the District and to recognized the achievements of students, staff, trustees and other members of the Thames Valley community.

During these meetings, staff present an update of the initiatives undertaken by their departments over the past month and reports are presented by the various Committees. For a full description of the Board’s committees, see Board Room/Committees of the Board.

Agendas and minutes are also posted under Board Room.

In-camera Sessions

The Board meets in-camera when the matter for discussion is related to confidential legal, property, negotiation or personal matters as outlined in the Education Act. This includes issues such as collective bargaining, student discipline and tendering. In-camera meetings are closed to all but the Trustees, Supervisory Officers, the Supervisor-Corporate Services and others invited by the Chair of the Board to speak to items under consideration. Discussions held in camera are not recorded in the public minutes. Motions passed in-camera; however, must still be adopted in a public session of the Board. The student trustees may participate in all but "Personal" items on the in-camera agenda.

For more information, contact:

Supervisor, Corporate Services
The Thames Valley District School Board
1250 Dundas Street
P O Box 5888
London, ON N6A 5L1

Phone 519-452-2000 ext. 20218
Fax 519-452-2256