PRAIRIE SPIRIT SCHOOL DIVISION 

BOARD GOVERNANCE POLICY MANUAL 

Policy - Introduction 

School Division Legal Status

The Prairie Spirit School Division is a legal body corporate and a political subdivision of the Province of Manitoba with powers and duties as outlined in The Public Schools Act of Manitoba and its regulations. The Division is governed by nine Trustees elected on the basis of one Trustee per each of the nine wards.

The Division was created July 17, 2002, under the provisions of Manitoba Regulation 117/2002. The Division’s description and its Ward boundaries are as shown on the Director of Surveys Plan 20497, on record in the office of the department in the City of Winnipeg.

The Division provides instructional programs for Kindergarten through Grade 12, with a goal of providing appropriate programming for all students.

The general business of the Division is conducted at the Prairie Spirit School Division Office, 15 Lorne Avenue, Swan Lake, Manitoba R0G 2S0.

The People and Their School Division

The people of The Prairie Spirit School Division elect their Trustees in democratic fashion and within the rules and regulations of The Public Schools Act and The Local Authorities Election Act, to direct and govern The Prairie Spirit School Division. (PSA S 22 - 27).

Further, it is the responsibility of the people of the Division to vote at elections of Trustees and, in general, to bring to the attention of the Trustees their concerns in education matters.

Trustees act to uphold the representative responsibility placed on them by accurately and impartially conveying to The Prairie Spirit School Division Board the educational desires and demands of the people they represent.

Trustees strive to obtain for the constituents the best educational conditions that are compatible and can exist in harmony with the policies of the Division.

With good communication between the people and their Trustees and a sincere desire on the part of the Trustees to do what is best for the Division, the Division provides its people with a sound educational system that reflects the thinking of its people.

The Name “Prairie Spirit”

The name “Prairie Spirit” was chosen from a contest of the residents of the Division. The final choice was a combination of 2 entries from the Clearwater School. Prairie Spirit encompasses shared values of co-operation, honesty, trust, hard work, determination, foresight, pride in a job well-done, and courage to try new things. It’s the same spirit that brought our forefathers to the prairies. It brings people together to work towards a common goal – that being to provide the best education possible for the students of the Division.

During the process of amalgamation of The Mountain School Division No.28 and The Prairie Spirit School Division No.50, the Interim Board unanimously agreed that the new division be named The Prairie Spirit School Division.

The Prairie Spirit Logo

Symbolism:

• Wheat wreath – representing the prairie wheat

• Sun – a ray of hope, new day, a bright light on the prairie

• Hands – the partnership of the former divisions, collaboration of all, a team effort

• Books – the focus on education

Board Governance

The Board is elected to represent the public with regard to education and does so primarily through governance policies. Governance policies are principles adopted by the Board and provide clear direction for the achievement of Division priorities. These policies serve as a course of action to the daily activities of the Division. 

Senior Administration, comprised of the Superintendent and the Secretary-Treasurer, each reporting directly to the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Division and the execution of Board policies. 

Prairie Spirit School Division governance is aligned with the Efficient and Effective Governance (E2G) model, and the process for implementation of the model, as developed by the Manitoba School Boards Association. The E2G model includes the following areas:

• Government-legislated requirements within the PSA and other legislation which is cited within the policies. 

• By-laws which outline the governing and operational rules for the Board itself. 

• Board governance policies which arise from the Board’s values and are “personal” to the Board and the community it serves, in some cases supported by Board procedures. 

• Administrative procedures which provide the practical measures for carrying out the direction from the Board. 

By-laws and governance policies are the responsibility of the Board. Authority for administrative procedures is delegated by the Board to Senior Administration. 

The content of this governance manual is based on the foundation statements which are outlined in Policy #1 Foundation Statements. Areas under the authority of the Board, Senior Administration with Board approval, and Senior Administration are summarized in Policy #11 Decision-Making Matrix. 

The Board establishes Division priorities and the operational plans are developed by Senior Administration. The process for developing priorities is described in Policy #4 Strategic Planning. Under this governance model, the Board can focus on the larger and more complex priorities and rely on Senior Administration to address daily operational issues. The Board Governance Manual is supplemented by board procedures and administrative procedures, which are the written documents by which Senior Administration delegate authority and direct the operations of the Division and the staff. This approach reinforces the distinction between the governance responsibility of the Board and the administrative duties of Senior Administration. 

This manual is organized as follows:

• Policy #1 Foundation Statements

• Policy #2 Board Governance Model

• Policy #3 Role of the Board

• Policy #4 Strategic Planning

• Policy #5 Board Operations

• Policy #6 Trustee Code of Conduct

• Policy #7 Trustee Conflict of Interest

• Policy #8 Policy Development System

• Policy #9 Board and Senior Administration Team Relationship

• Policy #10 Board Development and Evaluation

• Policy #11 Decision-Making Matrix

• Policy #12 Learning Environment, Programs and Services

• Policy #13 Safe and Respectful Schools

• Policy #14 Community Engagement

• Policy #15 Sustainable Development and Environmental Awareness

• Policy #16 Fiscal Management Goals and Priorities

• Policy #17 Audits

• Policy #18 Assets 

• Policy #19 Contingency Planning

• Policy #20 Transportation

• Policy #21 Hutterian Colony School Support

Legislation

The Prairie Spirit School Division policies and procedures reflect requirements of federal, provincial and local legislation, including but not limited to:

Federal:

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

• Criminal Code

• Youth Criminal Justice Act

• Canadian Human Rights Act

• Constitution Act

Provincial:

• The Public Schools Act

• The Education Administration Act

• The Safe Schools Charter

• The Workplace Safety and Health Act

• The Human Rights Code

• The Child and Family Services Act

• The Appropriate Educational Programming Regulation

• Standards for Appropriate Educational Programming in Manitoba

• The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)

• The Personal Health Information Act (PHIA)

• The Government of Manitoba General Manual of Administration (GMA)

Organizational Structure

Refer to Exhibit CB-E1 - Organization Chart