Education and Early Childhood Development
August 16, 2016

Building a Strong Education System

Provincial Government Announces Date for School Board Elections

On November 22, 2016, eligible voters across the province will be able to cast their vote to elect school board trustees for the Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board and Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador.

"Our government made a commitment to hold school board elections within 12 months of taking office. I am very pleased that we are able to get this process underway. The trustees that will be elected to represent the English School Board and Conseil scolaire francophone provincial will play essential roles in shaping our education system and ultimately the future of our students and province. I encourage people to put their names forward for consideration and ask that on November 22 all eligible voters take time to cast their ballot and have their say about education in Newfoundland and Labrador."
- The Honourable Dale Kirby, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development

Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board
This will be the first school board election since the four previous school boards were consolidated in 2013. There are 17 electoral trustee zones that provide regional representation across the province for the Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board.

Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador
This will be the first election that direct voting will be used to elect the school board for the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador. In previous elections, parents of students in French-first language schools elected school council members for each school who in turn elected trustees to the Conseil scolaire. In this and future elections rights holders under Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms who are residents of the province will be eligible to vote. There will be three electoral zones plus one at-large vote that will elect nine trustees - two from Labrador, two from the central/west region, two from the east region and three at-large trustees.

Who is eligible to vote?
Newfoundland and Labrador English School District

• Over 18 years of age;
• A Canadian citizen; and
• A regular resident of the school board electoral zone.

Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador

• Over 18 years of age;
• A Canadian citizen;
• A regular resident of the school board electoral zone; and
• Meet one of the following criteria:
• a person's first language learned and still understood is French;
• a person has received his or her primary school instruction in Canada in a French first language program;
• a person is a parent of a child who is receiving or has received primary or secondary school instruction in a French first language school in Canada.
• In order to vote a CSFP voter must also, on Election Day, confirm in writing that he or she is qualified to vote.

Key dates:

Nominations open: Monday, October 24, 2016

Nominations close: Friday, October 28, 2016

Election Day: Tuesday, November 22, 2016

"The last school board elections for English school boards were held in 2009 and had a very low voter turnout of under three per cent of eligible voters. School boards oversee the operations and planning of our school system from Kindergarten to Grade 12. School board trustees have a significant role and I feel that the residents and the students of our province deserve to have strong voices advocating and working on their behalf."
- Minister Kirby

Further information on the school board elections will be provided during regular updates. To find out more about the elections, voter eligibility, the roles of trustees, voting zones, nominations or general information please visit www.SchoolBoardElectionsNL.ca

QUICK FACTS

• On November 22, 2016, eligible voters across the province will be able to cast their vote to elect school board trustees for the Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board and the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador.
• This will be the first school board election for the Newfoundland and Labrador English School Board since the four previous school boards were consolidated in 2013
• The last school board elections for the English school boards were held in 2009.
• This will be the first election that direct voting will be used to elect the school board for the Conseil scolaire francophone provincial de Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador
• For more information, visit www.SchoolBoardElectionsNL.ca

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Media contact:

Blair Medd Director of Communications Department of Education and Early Childhood Development 709-729-0048, 631-8465 blairmedd@gov.nl.ca

2016 08 16                              12:30 p.m.