In November, parents and members of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la C.-B. (CSF) will be called on to elect, or re-elect, Trustees who will represent them on the Board of Regional Trustees of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la C.-B. for the next three years.

The school elections are an opportunity for parents to play an active role in the future of Francophone education in the province.

Very often, Trustees are parents who have worked within their communities or parents’ groups at the provincial level. They are usually active members of the Francophone community who want to participate in important decisions that affect our schools. Always keeping a provincial perspective, they contribute to the development of broad strategies, the formulation of priorities for the CSF, and the shaping of the Francophone education system in our province. In order to do this, they are supported in their functions and receive training aimed at familiarizing them with their roles and responsibilities.

The Mandate of the Trustees

Trustees will be elected for a three-year period from November 2014 to November 2017. They have the mandate: 

• To establish guiding principles (mission, values, objectives) that reflect the values of the Francophone community in the province (district); 
• To develop policies and regulations that relate to the mission, values, and objectives of the CSF and that establish a structure that allows the Executive Director to carry out his/her responsibilities; 
• To make decisions as a corporate body; 
• To exercise their responsibilities as defined in the B.C. School Act;  
• To establish a system of effective communication with their partners in education and the Francophone community.

Who Can Run as a Trustee?

Any Canadian citizen at least 18 years of age who has been a member of the CSF since July 18, 2014, and who has resided in British Columbia since at least May 15, 2014, may submit their application for candidacy as a Trustee.

Completed applications must be sent to the CSF, to the attention of the Secretary-Treasurer, Mr. Sylvain Allison, no later than August 7, 2014, using the form available from him. Note that it is not necessary for candidates to live in the region where they want to run as a Trustee.

To apply or to get more information about the candidacy process, please contact:

Sylvain Allison, Secretary-Treasurer of the CSF

Tel.: 604-214-2606 / e-mail: sylvain_allison@csf.bc.ca

Important Dates in the Electoral Process

Late August 2014: the list of candidates, accompanied by their brief biographies, will be sent to all members of the CSF.

October 2014: members will receive an electronic ballot by e-mail. They can then use this ballot to exercise their right to vote, until the beginning of November.

November 15, 2014: the results of the elections will be made public. In the case of election by acclamation (when there is only one candidate for Trustee for a given region) the results will be announced earlier.

You are invited to take part in this important democratic process for the education of our children. Every vote counts!

Who Has the Right to Vote? 

To find out who has the right to vote, and how to become a member of the CSF, or to check whether you are already registered as a member of the CSF, click here.