Are Our School Boards Becoming Irrelevant?

Municipal elections are right around the corner, but while most attention goes to city council races, our school boards are quietly losing their purpose.

Al Gribbin

9/6/20262 min read

Opinion Article by Trustee Al Gribbin

*This article represents the personal opinion of Trustee Gribbin and does not represent the Kootenay Lake Board of Trustees.

Municipal elections are coming up this October. While voters will focus on electing city councils and regional district representatives, the selection of school board trustees is often lost in the noise.

Over the past year, I have been mulling over an article by esteemed researcher and education professor Paul W. Bennett that appeared in the September 5, 2025, edition of The Globe and Mail. In it, he warns that "the long-standing pillar of local democracy in Canadian education – the elected school board – is crumbling." He expresses concern that school boards are becoming increasingly irrelevant, and that maintaining the status quo will "leave parents voiceless, teachers disempowered, and communities shut out of the schools they fund and depend upon."

As a current trustee, a comment I frequently hear from veteran board members is that newly elected trustees need to forget what they promised during their campaigns and simply govern according to existing board rules—rules that I suggest are ambiguous at best. The implication is clear: trustees cannot meet community expectations or live up to their campaign promises under the current structure.

Many former trustees who served one or two terms express a similar concern: the position feels inconsequential, and boards struggle to accomplish meaningful work. This issue extends far beyond British Columbia. Nova Scotia dissolved its English-language school boards in 2018, and Quebec eliminated its French-language boards in 2020. Manitoba and Ontario have also considered eliminating boards, with Ontario steadily stripping away local board responsibilities.

Clearly, the role of the school board is changing. But where do these changes leave us?

As a reader and voter, what do you expect from your local trustee? Consider how the following common assumptions stack up against reality:

• Should trustees intervene or advocate on behalf of a family or student?

o Expectation vs. Reality: Many assume this is a core duty. Under the current model, it is not—and a trustee can actually be reprimanded by the board for doing so.

• Should trustees attend district professional development days with teachers to understand the direction of local education?

o Expectation vs. Reality: This is generally discouraged or prohibited. A trustee would typically need explicit permission from the Superintendent just to attend.

• Should trustees interact directly with school staff to build strong working relationships?

o Expectation vs. Reality: Developing relationships with staff—other than the Superintendent—is strongly discouraged and often restricted.

• Should your trustee have a say in selecting local school principals?

o Expectation vs. Reality: There is no guarantee that a local trustee will have any input into who leads a school in their community.

These disconnects highlight why so many voters—and trustees themselves—feel that school boards are losing their purpose. If we want local voice in public education, we must ask ourselves: what do we actually want our school boards to be?

I struggle with this question every day.

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