School councils
Learn about the ways school council members can contribute to the education of students in their school.
Overview
As a parent or guardian, you can get involved in your child’s education in many ways, including through the:
- school council at your child's school
- parent involvement committee (PIC) of your school board
Both encourage parent involvement in support of student achievement, equity and well-being.
PICs provide advice at the board level. Learn more about parent involvement committees.
School councils mainly provide advice at the school level.
Note: On this page, parent(s) also means guardian(s) as defined in regulation.
About school councils
Every publicly funded school has a school council. The school council is a key advisory body to its school. School councils may also provide advice to their school board.
The school council provides a way for parents take an active part in:
- improving student achievement
- increasing education system accountability to parents
Your participation can make a difference.
As a school council member, you can connect with parents, school staff and the school community. You are part of a team that improves the student experience and supports high-quality education at your school.
Attend a school council meeting
Everyone is welcome to attend school council meetings and find about their work.
School councils meet at least 4 times a year.
Contact your school to find details.
Membership and eligibility
Parents lead school councils and most members are parents.
Other members include:
- the school principal
- school staff representatives
- community members
- students (in some cases)
If your child goes to a school, you can run for the school council at the start of each new school year.
Parent member elections take place within the first 30 days of each school year. The date is set by the school council chair/co-chairs in consultation with the principal.
Elections can be in person, online, by telephone or through a combination of methods to help make sure elections are accessible and fair.
Read the regulation that outlines a school council’s composition, function and mandate.
How to join your school council
Contact your school if you would like to join your school council.
Tips for effective school councils
Running meetings
Use these tips to hold effective school council meetings:
- plan meeting dates for the entire school year in advance
- choose a central location for in-person attendees and offer remote or hybrid options
- create and share an agenda before each meeting
- record minutes and keep financial records
- inform participants of operational procedures at the first meeting of the year
- make sure meetings are accessible
- give all members a chance to participate
Best practices
Effective school councils:
- prioritize student achievement, equity and well-being
- focus on the needs and interests of all students at the school
- represent the diversity of the school community
- maintain high ethical standards
- promote effective, accessible and ongoing communication among all education partners including:
- parents and guardians
- caregivers
- students
- school staff
- the school board
- the school community
- build a positive relationship with the school principal and staff
- tell parents how the school council considers their advice and ideas
- understand their roles and responsibilities
- use a clear and consistent process for decision making and conflict resolution
Guide for school council members
We developed this guide to help school council members fulfil their mandate. It explains:
- our regulations and what they mean for school councils, principals, and school boards
- roles and responsibilities
- when school boards and principals must consult with school councils
The guide has advice to help school councils set goals and priorities. It has tips about:
- preparing for and running elections and meetings
- establishing bylaws
- communicating effectively with school communities
You will find ideas and examples from school councils across the province. Your school council can adapt these to meet its needs. The guide also has sample forms, checklists and reports.
About the guide
Read the guide for school council members.
This guide is based on regulations for school councils that have not changed substantially since 2000. Most of the guide’s content remains accurate and valuable for school councils. Please note that:
- some contact details for the Ministry of Education are out of date
- a small number of links are no longer active
- the Ontario Parent Council and the Education Improvement Commission no longer exist
Please email information.met@ontario.ca if you need help accessing information with broken links in this guide. You can also reach out to your regional office for local information.
Alternative formats
Please contact information.met@ontario.ca if you need this information in an alternative format. We will:
- acknowledge your request within 3 business days
- provide you with the content within 15 business days