Just days left to vote in trustee elections

Just days left to vote in trustee elections

School communities have just a few days left to have their say about who will be on their board of trustees over the next three years.

For the great majority of schools, voting in the School Trustee Elections ends at noon on Thursday 29 March and elections project manager Janet Kelly is encouraging parents to get their votes in.

“Schools are telling us that there is good interest in the elections, but as with other elections, some are finding that voting forms are coming in more slowly than they would like,” says Janet Kelly

“These elections are so important for schools and it is vital that all those eligible to vote have a say about who is on their board. These are the people who will guide their students’ education over the next three years.”

The vast majority of schools have chosen to hold their elections on the common date of 29 March. For those schools, nominations closed on 15 March and voting forms have been posted out to the parents of children enrolled at the school.

The results will be declared on 4 April and trustees will take office on 5 April.

The School Trustee Elections are New Zealand’s biggest democratic event and this is the seventh election since the introduction of self-managed schools in 1989. The theme of this year’s campaign is “make a difference for our schools”.

More than 13,000 people are needed to fill positions on boards of trustees at 2,500 schools throughout the country.

Janet Kelly says the nominations process has gone very well with good support from people prepared to get involved in their schools.

“Now it is vital that parents complete the process and make the most of the opportunity to influence the outcome of the elections by getting their votes in on time.”

ENDS

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