Ottawa Carleton District School Board

School Councils bring together the parent community and enhance the communication between the school and the school community. This is accomplished by providing feedback and advice to your school principal and the school district on significant education issues, and by planning activities that support the active participation of parents/guardians and your school community.

The responsibilities of School Councils are established provincially in the Ontario Education Act under regulations 612/00 and 613/00. At the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, our policy, P.014.SCO: School Councils and procedure PR.509.SCO: School Council Elections, Constitution, and By-Laws outline the responsibilities of School Councils in the Board’s jurisdiction. 

Your School Council constitution further describes the responsibilities of your School Council that are specific to your school community.

Key Duties of School Councils

Through meaningful consultation, your School Council will work directly with the school principal to provide advice and comments on your school’s overall performance and to support parent engagement. Some of the key duties of a School Council include:

Membership on the School Council is open to all parents/guardians of students enrolled in the school, as well as community members, intermediate and secondary students, the school principal (non-voting), teachers, and administrative and support staff. The composition of the School Council should reflect the diversity of the community it serves. Members of the council are elected annually by their peers, and parents/guardians must hold the majority of seats.

Elementary School Councils (minimum of 9 members):

• A minimum of 5 parents/guardians of students who attend the school (elected by their peers)
• A minimum of 1 community representative who is appointed by the School Council
• The school principal (non-voting)
• A teacher elected by their peers
• An administrative staff member elected by their peers
• Upon consultation with the School Council, a student may be appointed by the principal

Secondary School Councils (minimum of 11 members)

• A minimum of 6 parents/guardians of students who attend the school (elected by their peers)
• A minimum of 1 community representative who is appointed by the School Council
• The school principal (non-voting)
• A teacher elected by their peers
• An administrative staff member elected by their peers
• A student elected by their peers

A School Council may choose to appoint additional members or establish a maximum number of members in its constitution.

Your constitution will describe the responsibilities of the officers and members of your School Council. These responsibilities may include:

Your School Council is responsible for developing and maintaining a School Council constitution that outlines the way in which your School Council will conduct its business. Your constitution must comply with both the provincial regulations and the OCDSB’s policies and procedures. At a minimum, it must include:

• Council’s name, purpose, and objectives
• Council’s officers and members
• Responsibilities of the officers and members on your council
• Requirements for meetings, quorum, and voting rights
• Rules for conduct at meetings
• Procedures to amend your School Council’s constitution/bylaws
• Procedures for annual elections and filling interim vacancies (for example through election, rotation, or by seeking volunteers)
• Procedures to address any conflicts of interest
• Resolution process for internal School Council disputes
• Affiliation with other organizations, such as the Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC)
• Any other committees of your council and their membership

Many OCDSB School Councils have posted their constitutions on their websites. You can compare notes with other School Councils by visiting these websites. The constitution is an excellent resource tool. If your council is experiencing challenges, check your constitution. It may help identify the path forward.

Parent Involvement Committee

The Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is an important resource to the school district. Under the Ministry of Education's Parent Engagement Policy, all boards must have a committee comprised of a majority of parents, community members, the Director of Education and a trustee. The purpose of the Parent Involvement Committee (PIC) is to:

• Support, encourage, and enhance meaningful parental involvement within schools and across the district
• Seek advice and ideas of School Councils and other parents and partners as they plan and implement strategies to involve more parents at the regional level
• Work collaboratively with the school board
• Develop strategies for increasing parental engagement and outreach, including parents who find involvement more challenging, to support student success.

Visit our PIC webpage for more information about the PIC and the work that is underway.