ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: The Ministry of Education provides the framework within which school trustees set the goals, the policies, and the oversight in order to advance student success.
There are two separate questions here, really.
What is it that school trustees DO NOT DO?
They DO NOT set the goals of K-12 education for the general public.
They DO NOT set the policies of K-12 education for the general public.
They DO NOT set the curriculum (1).
They DO NOT set the funding.
All of this is done by the Ministry of Education.
What is it that school trustees DO? (2)
They DO set the goals of K-12 education specific to their community.
They DO set the policies of K-12 education specific to their community.
They DO oversee the employment conditions of all employees.
They DO oversee the work conditions of all employees.
They DO oversee the school district's operating budget
They DO oversee the school district's capital plans.
They DO hear requests from the community.
They DO act as the advocates for public education for their community.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
(1) For details see: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/ (Accessed: 8 Jan 2026)
(2) https://bcsta.org/wp-content/uploads/THE-ROLE-OF-BOARDS-AND-TRUSTEES-IN-BC-Digital.pdf (Accessed: 8 Jan 2026)
