What are school boards?

All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a school board which is the Crown entity responsible for the governance of the school.

The board:

• ensures every student can reach their highest possible standard in student achievement
• is the employer of all staff in the school
• sets the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, whānau, staff, students and the wider school community
• is responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration

Board membership

There are three types of representative members who are elected onto the board. These "representative" board members are elected by the parent community, staff members and, in the case of schools with students above Year 9, the students.

There are also other types of board members, including the principal, co-opted and appointed board members.

A standard school board's membership includes:

• parent elected (or selected) representatives (usually five)
• the principal of the school
• one staff-elected representative
• one student-elected representative (in schools with students above Year 9)
• state integrated schools: four board members appointed by the proprietor

The board can co-opt additional people onto the board for gender, skill or ethnic balance, and the Minister of Education can appoint an additional board member.

More information

For more information read the Community member guide to the role of school boards and check out our information for parents on the NZSTA website.