Becoming a Student Trustee
Student trustees serve an important role for the Peel District School Board. They represent the voice of students in decisions about education in Peel, and they help keep students informed about important decisions that affect them. The Peel board has two student trustees—one representing schools north of Highway 401 and one representing schools south of Highway 401.
What are the responsibilities?
Being a student trustee is a great opportunity – and a big commitment. The main duties include:
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attending all public board meetings and standing committee meetings
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representing students’ views in discussions about education issues
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meeting with student leadership groups, including Peel Students' President's Council (PSPC)
- communicating regularly with students about the activities of the school board and gathering student input about upcoming issues facing the board (it’s up to the student trustees to decide on the best methods)
What kind of time commitment
would I have to make?
You’ll attend an average of one meeting a week —regular board meetings are held every two weeks, and other standing committees meet on the other Tuesdays. In addition, student trustees need to spend time communicating with other students. Because of the time commitment, we don’t recommend that a student trustee hold any other elected positions.
Who is eligible to run and serve?
To run for election as a candidate for student trustee, you must:
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be a full-time Peel board secondary school student
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be 16 years or older by Dec. 31
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have parent consent, if you’re younger than 18
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have strong academic standing and strong leadership and communication skills
The board can disqualify a student trustee from service for any of the following reasons:
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no longer a student of the Peel board
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absence from three consecutive board meetings without the permission of the board
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conviction of an indictable offense
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suspension from school for a serious violation of the behaviour code
The first runner-up in each district council election will be the alternate student trustee for that district. If the student trustee leaves office before the end of the term, the alternate would complete the term.
Are student trustees paid?
Student trustees receive an honoraria of $2,500 and are provided with $1,500 to be used for conferences and training. They are also reimbursed for expenses they incur in their role, e.g. transportation costs. (Student trustees are responsible for providing their own transportation to board and other meetings.) All expenses must be approved by the Chair of the Board.
What assistance is available to student trustees?
Each student trustee will have a trustee mentor. This experienced trustee, appointed by the board, will serve as an advisor and can explain board policies and procedures.
Some administrative support will be available to the student trustees through the Director’s Office and the Trustees Office of the Peel board, e.g. setting up voice mail boxes and e-mail addresses.