ÉLECTIONS SCOLAIRES

Our Future is in Our Schools

Voting in the CSF school board elections: it’s our responsibility

The next school board elections for the Conseil scolaire francophone de la C.-B. (CSF) will take place in October 2018, when the seven Trustees for the CSF Board of Trustees will be elected for a four-year term.

Why vote in the Francophone school board (CSF) elections?

These elections are an important opportunity to have our voices heard regarding the CSF’s direction for the next four years. The Trustees form the CSF’s ultimate decision-making body, playing a decisive role in the organization.

Among other responsibilities, CSF Trustees adopt a budget and develop policies and regulations that relate to the CSF’s mission, values, and objectives. They also establish the structure allowing for senior management and the Secretary-Treasurer to carry out their responsibilities. Decisions made by these elected representatives have a direct impact on the education of current and future generations of Francophones in our province! For the complete list of the responsibilities of CSF Trustees, click here.

What’s the real impact of my vote?

It’s often said that every vote counts; this is especially true for CSF school board elections. Here are just some statistics related to the last CSF school board elections, held in November 2014:

Two candidates were elected with a majority of fewer than 10;
Two of the candidates in these elections were elected by acclamation (there was only one candidate in each of these regions);
In one region, no candidate ran for election. The Minister of Education, in accordance with the School Act, appointed the Trustee six months after the election;
In the four regions where there was an election, a total of 683 people exercised their right to vote (646 did so during the previous elections in 2011).

Who can vote in the CSF school board elections?

Not only parents (Francophone or Anglophone parents) of students attending CSF schools can vote, but also parents who are French language rights holders* who have preschool-aged children, as well as citizens who are French language rights holders*, live in BC, and are 18 years old or older. For the right to vote, they simply need to become a member of the CSF.

To learn the criteria for becoming a CSF member and voting in the school board elections, click here.

Anyone wishing to become a CSF member must fill out the CSF Eligibility Form, available here (please note that the CSF elections webpage will be available in English soon). Once filled and signed, the form may be sent directly to the CSF by email, at the following address: hrivest@csf.bc.ca. It is not necessary to have it signed by a school principal or secretary. Also, there are no membership fees associated with becoming a CSF member, and the elections are held electronically (by email).

Am I already a CSF member?

In order to check whether you’re a member, you will be able to see the members' list by region, which will soon be available on the CSF elections webpage.

In the meanwhile, to find out if you already are a member or if you have any other elections-related questions, please contact Ms. Hélène Rivest, Administrative Assistant at the CSF, by phone at 604-214-2636, or by email at hrivest@csf.bc.ca.