Communicating with the School Board

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Communicating with the School Board
and your local School Trustees
See Also: Communications Department

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The Winnipeg School Board consists of 9 school trustees (3 per ward) who are individuals elected by their local community to serve on the School Board. Individual school trustees have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the Winnipeg School Division. They do, however, have the right to speak and vote at Board meetings where decisions are made by majority vote. Individual school trustees are also able to provide information and assistance to members of the public with respect to the Winnipeg School Division.

To Communicate with the School Board

• Members of the public may communicate officially with the Winnipeg School Board by writing to the Chair and Members of the Board at 1577 Wall Street East, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 2S5.

Correspondence received is included on the agenda of the next regular Board meeting for consideration by the trustees and a copy is provided to all trustees and members of the senior administrative staff. Correspondence received from members of the public is identified on the public agenda by a number and brief description only, and copies are not made available to the public or media. A written response is provided following the Board meeting at which the correspondence is considered.

• Winnipeg School Division residents, parents/guardians of Division students, and Division students may appear in person before the Board as a delegation.

Delegations are usually received by the Board at meetings held on the second Monday of the month during the school year. These meetings commence at 7:00 pm and are usually held in the Board Room on the second floor of the Administration Building at 1577 Wall Street East. Delegations are granted a maximum of 10 minutes to make their presentation to the Board, following which there is an opportunity for trustees to ask questions of the delegation for clarification purposes. Arrangements to appear before the Board as a delegation must be made by 12:00 noon the Thursday before the Board meeting by contacting the Board Office staff at 789-0469.

To Communicate with Individual School Trustees

• Write to the trustee c/o The Winnipeg School Division, 1577 Wall Street East, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 2S5 or via fax to (204) 774-6211

• Telephone the number provided at the School Division website Meet your Trustee web page

• Leave a message at the Board Office at 789-0469 or via e-mail board@wsd1.org.

Please keep in mind that being a school trustee is a community service and not a full-time job. In this respect, trustees may not always be available to communicate with you personally at the time you call.

Channels of Communication

The Board of Trustees supports the concept of school-based decision making and believes that most educational issues can be resolved in the quickest and most efficient manner at the school level by contacting the teacher and/or principal, and that general issues are best resolved by the appropriate administrative department.

In cases where satisfactory resolution is not achieved by communicating with the school or department, the appropriate channels of communication are to next contact the district Superintendent for the school or the head of the administrative department by calling
775-0231.

If satisfactory resolution is not achieved at this level, the next step is to contact the Chief Superintendent at 775-0231. If satisfactory resolution is not achieved at this level, the next step is to communicate with the School Board as outlined above.