School board elections: Why they matter and how you can get involved

School board elections take place on October 17, 2026. Be sure to cast your vote!

Municipal elections rarely dominate headlines, yet this is the level of government with arguably the largest impact on voters’ day-to-day lives. One of the positions you’ll see on the ballot at this October’s municipal elections is school board trustee. School boards are responsible for making key decisions that can have big impacts on teachers, students, and parents. Despite the weight these decisions carry, voter turnout tends to be very low compared to provincial or federal elections.¹ This means a small number of voters can decide who runs the education system in their community.

Understanding what school boards actually do is the first step to making sure they stay focused on supporting students and schools. So, what is a school board actually responsible for?

Locally elected school boards oversee millions of dollars of public funds designated for education in the community. They are responsible for approving and overseeing the budget to ensure the district is equipped to support all students. Decisions contemplated and made by boards are varied and include things like opening or closing schools within the district, the sale of district-owned land, and investments in school facilities, such as upgrades to buildings and infrastructure or purchasing equipment and supplies for schools. School boards also set the strategic direction for the district, make decisions about school programs, represent the community’s voice in education, and create policies to guide schools in improving student learning and ensuring schools meet the needs of the community.

When school boards spend years fighting symbolic or divisive issues, it serves as a distraction from addressing the real challenges teachers and students are facing in schools. – Carole Gordon, BCTF President

This means schools boards influence everything from district spending and educational programs to district priorities and access to learning resources.

Trustees represent the constituencies they serve. They are democratically elected and accountable to their communities. That said, we have seen an influx of ideological campaigns that focus on censorship, limiting of resources, narrowing of curriculum, and devaluing teacher professionalism. Many of these far-right groups are working in a co-ordinated manner to bring their agenda into public school decision-making processes—they are networked and connected to one another. As such, we have seen school board meetings overtaken by debate on human rights and book bans rather than practical support for students.

“When school boards spend years fighting symbolic or divisive issues, it serves as a distraction from addressing the real challenges teachers and students are facing in schools,” said Carole Gordon, BCTF President. “Schools need to be safe, kind, caring places where everyone can learn, and we need school boards that focus on supporting students and teachers.”

Because turnout is low for school board elections, the impact of each vote is tremendous. Taking the opportunity to cast your ballot means ensuring the people who make decisions about schools are focused on supporting students and strengthening schools, not spreading misinformation or sowing division.

Many school board trustee positions are acclaimed, meaning the person elected to the position had no opposition to run against.

“When we have acclimations, there is no mechanism of accountability,” said Cody Lind, Bulkley Valley Local President. “When someone runs against you, you have to justify why you should get the vote and stand behind your track record and your stance.”

In Cody’s local, four out of the seven trustee positions were acclaimed during the last election. To support more democratic processes and engagement, the local union is actively trying to recruit good candidates who understand what our education system needs. Retired teachers, parent advocates, and people who want to make a difference in their community can have a transformative impact by adding their voice to decisions made at school board meetings. Candidates don’t need a background in education. The most important qualities for candidates are a willingness to listen and learn from students and teachers and a commitment to doing the best they can to support public education.

When a promising candidate chooses to run for school board trustee, local unions need to support them. Volunteer for their campaign and talk to your friends and family to encourage them to vote. In many cases, it only takes a small number of voters to win a seat on the school board because voter turnout is low.

School board trustees are elected for four-year terms, so the outcomes of this fall’s elections will determine outcomes in school districts until 2030. Now is the time to start preparing by having conversations with your colleagues, friends, and families to encourage them to get involved in their local school board trustee elections.

What do school boards do?

• Allocate district spending.

• Make decisions about school programs.

• Set district priorities.

• Create policies to guide schools.

• Represent the community’s voice in education.

• As the employer, oversee local bargaining with unions and ratify collective agreements.

How can you get involved?

• Vote!

• Talk to your friends and family about school board elections and encourage them to vote.

• Recruit and support candidates who want to make a difference.

• Reach out to your local union office or labour council to ask what you can do.

Why get involved?

• Have your community’s values represented at decision-making tables.

• Ensure school boards focus on what really matters: supporting students and strengthening schools.

• Keep ideological campaigns and divisive issues that are steeped in misinformation out of the conversation.

1 Find data about municipal voter turnout in your community at civicinfo.bc.ca/elections.