Make A Difference At Your School
All schools in the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board should have an advisory school council to help increase communication between schools and their communities and to serve the needs of students. A school council liaises through the school principal and is an important link between parents and the school community. Find out more about school councils by reading our factsheet.
You can also hear more about the District by reading the Director's page.
Some of the key duties of a school council include:
Building a sense of community involving:
Organizing extra-curricular activities in the school
Coordinating school-based services and community partnerships related to social, health, recreational, and nutrition programs
Advising on community use of school facilities
The local coordination of services for children and youth
Enhancing the home-school relationship through:
Establishing school-community communication strategies
Developing methods of reporting to parents/guardians and the community
Providing advice and comments on areas such as:
The school-year calendar
The school code of student conduct
Curriculum and program goals and priorities
The responses of the school or Board to achievement in provincial and Board assessment programs
The preparation of the school profile
The principal profile – provision of input as to the qualities, skills, attitudes, and training/education for the Board and administration to consider in the selection of school principals
The school budget priorities, including local capital improvement plans
The development, implementation, and review of Board policies at the local level
The principal assists the school council in carrying out its obligations by:
Providing existing non-confidential information*
Giving notice of the first school council meeting of the year to all parents
Working with the school council to publish information about its activities
Endorsing the school council’s fundraising activities (within the parameters and guidelines established by the Board) for the benefit of the school and/or the council
*Note: School councils cannot access information on individual students and staff or discuss personnel matters and matters that are dealt with under collective agreements. Parents/guardians should speak directly to the teacher or principal to resolve any individual concerns.
Who sits on the school council?
Membership on the school council is open to all parents/guardians of students enrolled in the school, community representatives, intermediate and secondary students, the school principal (non-voting), teachers, and administrative and support staff. The composition of the school council should reflect the diversity of the community it serves. Members of the council are elected annually by their peers and parents/guardians must hold the majority of seats. Elementary school councils should have at least nine members and secondary school councils should have at least eleven members.
What is the Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils OCASC?
The Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils (OCASC) is an umbrella organization for OCDSB school councils. The Board recognizes the important role played by OCASC in strengthening the involvement of parents and the community in schools and in Board decision-making through representation on Board committees and in other ways. Each school council has the opportunity to elect a delegate to attend monthly OCASC meetings. For more information, go to www.ocasc.ca
More Information
Please browse this web site for more resources including information about key Board policies and procedures relevant to school councils, OCASC and Board contacts, information from the Ministry of Education, and how to communicate effectively with the Board. General information on school councils can be found here. 
When are meetings held?
School council meetings are usually held every month at the school (minimum of four meetings per year). All parents/guardians and interested members of the community are encouraged to attend the meetings and express their views. The first meeting each year shall be held within 35 calendar days of the beginning of the school year.
Contact Information
For more information about your school council activities, please contact your school office. As well, your trustees and superintendent are available to assist you with the specific needs of your school. In addition, you may E-mail us.