Horowhenua Chronicle: School Board Elections
Nominations for School Board of Trustee elections opened on the 1st of March and your immediate thought might be, so what – I don’t have kids at school or I don’t have the necessary skills to help.
If you have a commitment to children and their education and a willingness to help get the best outcomes, please consider putting your name forward.
Boards of trustees have overall responsibility for the governance of a school. It sets the educational goals and strategic direction of the school. Boards can choose how they want their school to develop.
It is important that the make up of a board represents the diversity of the school community to ensure a bright future for our children.
Operational funding is paid by the Ministry of Education to the board to run the school. This funding doesn’t include teacher salaries, property maintenance or large capital items. The board is responsible for setting priorities and managing the total funds allocated to the school.
Many Principals in Horowhenua schools that I have visited tell me that operational funding is struggling to keep up with inflation and rising costs. Technology advances in the classroom with more computers and electronic learning, drains the school budget and this needs urgently addressing.
The Labour Government in 2005 commissioned a review of this operational funding and it has taken a whole year and delivered nothing. The report was sneakily released just before Christmas and confirmed the obvious; schools are struggling to function properly under the allocated money and parents are fundraising like crazy.
Most genuine people believed this review would be a catalyst for change but they have been disappointed. The Ministry of Education report did confirm that increasing compliance costs are making it tough for schools to function properly.
In other words, legislation passed in Parliament by this Government is hammering schools and to compensate for this parents are doing more fundraising like sausage sizzles and raffles.
I know that Fairfield School are holding their highly successful annual gala this week (Wed March 7) and the money raised will go some way to making this school a better place for kids to learn. This gala is well supported by local businesses that donate goods and parents that give freely of their time. Thank you.
If you are not prepared to stand for your local school board please remember to vote - your children deserve to have a board that makes the school function and perform to the highest level.
Nominations close on the 15th March. Voting papers are issued by March 20, with voting closing on the 29th March.
Give serious consideration to putting yourself forward for election onto the board. The term is for three years in an environment where you can learn more about your school and community. You may even get to voice your concerns about budget allocations from the Ministry of Education keeping up with what is actually required at the coal face.