Understanding the Role
What Do Trustees Do?
School board trustees hold real power over public education, but that power has clear boundaries. Here's what trustees are actually responsible for, and what falls outside their authority.
The Board Governs. The Administration Manages.
In Ontario, school boards operate under a governance model where elected trustees set direction through policy and budget, while professional administrators, led by the Director of Education/CEO, carry out those decisions. This separation is fundamental to how public education works.
The Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) follows this model, as do all publicly funded school boards in Ontario. The Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) describes the trustee role as one of governance, advocacy, and community representation, not administration or management.
Trustee Responsibilities
What Trustees Are Responsible For
01
Set Board Policy
Trustees establish the policies that govern how the school board operates, from student codes of conduct to equity frameworks and financial controls. Policy-setting is the primary lever trustees have to shape the direction of public education in their community.
02
Approve the Budget
The board of trustees approves the annual operating and capital budgets. This means trustees decide how public education dollars are allocated across staffing, programs, facilities, and student supports, a significant responsibility that directly affects every school.
03
Hire and Oversee the Director of Education
Trustees hire the Director of Education, the board's chief executive, and hold that position accountable for implementing board policy and managing day-to-day operations. The Director reports to the board, not the other way around.
04
Represent the Community
Trustees are elected to bring the voice of their ward or community into the boardroom. That means listening to parents, educators, and students, and ensuring those perspectives inform board decisions. According to OPSBA, trustees serve as the critical link between the public and the education system.
05
Advocate for Public Education
Trustees advocate to the provincial government on behalf of their communities, on funding, legislation, and policy changes that affect local schools. The Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) supports trustees in this advocacy role at the provincial level.
06
Monitor Board Performance
Trustees are responsible for monitoring whether the board is achieving its goals, reviewing data on student achievement, equity, and operational performance, and holding the administration accountable for results.
Outside the Trustee Role
What Trustees Do Not Control
Understanding these limits matters. Voters deserve candidates who are honest about what the role can and cannot do.
Set the Curriculum
Curriculum in Ontario is set by the provincial Ministry of Education, not by local school boards or individual trustees. Trustees have no authority to add, remove, or modify what is taught in classrooms. That power rests with the province.
Hire or Fire Teachers and Principals
Staffing decisions, including hiring, assigning, and dismissing teachers, vice-principals, and principals — are made by the Director of Education and senior administration, not by individual trustees. Trustees hire only the Director.
Manage Day-to-Day School Operations
Running individual schools is the job of principals and the administrative team.
Act Individually Outside the Boardroom
A trustee's authority exists only when the board acts collectively, at official meetings. Individual trustees cannot make decisions, issue directives, or commit the board to a course of action on their own. The board governs as a whole.
Override Provincial Legislation
School boards operate within the framework set by the Ontario Education Act and provincial regulations. Trustees cannot pass policies that contradict provincial law, regardless of local preference.
Kyle's Approach
Governing with Honesty About the Role
One of the most important things a trustee can do is be honest with constituents about what the role actually is. Too often, candidates make promises that fall outside trustee authority — on curriculum, on staffing, on day-to-day school decisions. That sets up voters for disappointment and erodes trust in the institution.
As your trustee, I will focus my energy where trustees genuinely have influence: policy, budget, accountability, and community voice. And I will always be straight with you about what I can and cannot do.