Information for School Board Candidates

Nomination packages

All candidates must submit their Notice of Intent and Nomination Forms with the City Clerk's office by the end of the Nomination Period at 12:00 p.m. on September 22.

Nomination Package

Guidance Resources

Public School Board candidate guide          Catholic School Board candidate guide

Prospective candidates may also find the  following resources from the  Alberta School Board Association and the Alberta Catholic School Trustee Association helpful:

Guide for School Board Trustees
Handbook for Catholic School Board Trustees

Eligibility

Candidates can only run for Trustee at one School Board, not both.

To become a candidate you must be:

  1. at least 18 years of age on nomination day,
  2. a Canadian citizen,
  3. a resident of the local jurisdiction for the 6 consecutive months preceding nomination day, which is September 22, 2025 s.21 Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA).

Additionally, Catholic School Board Trustee nominees must be of the same faith:

  • Where a separate school district is established, an individual residing within the boundaries of the separate school district is a resident of the separate school division if the individual declares that the individual is of the same faith as those who established the separate school district, whether Protestant or Roman Catholic s.74 Education Act.

You are not eligible to become a candidate in any election under any of the following circumstances (s.22 LAEA):

  • if you are the auditor of the local jurisdiction or if you are a municipal or school board employee on nomination day, unless you take the entitled leave of absence,
  • your property taxes are more than $50 in arrears or you are indebted to the local jurisdiction for which the election is to be held for any debt equaling or exceeding $500 and in default for more than 90 days,
  • if you have, within the previous 10 years, been convicted of an offence under this Act, the Election Act, the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act or the Canada Elections Act (Canada). .

There may be other circumstances that may prevent you from running for office, please refer to the full text of s. 22 LAEA.

Determining residency

If you own more than one residence, you must choose ONE as your official place of residence (Local Authorities Election Act, section 48). Your place of residence should be determined by the following criteria in order of priority:

(a) the address shown on the person’s driver’s license or motor vehicle operator’s license issued by or on behalf of the Government of Alberta or an identification card issued by or on behalf of the Government of Alberta;
(b) the address to which the person’s income tax correspondence is addressed and delivered;
(c) the address to which the person’s mail is addressed and delivered
Federal employees
Before a federal public servant employee can seek nomination as a candidate in a municipal election he/she must request and obtain permission from the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) to do so. For further information please contact the PSC directly or refer to the Public Service Employment Act.
School board employees

A person employed by a school division, a charter school, or a private school that wishes to be nominated as a candidate for election as a trustee of a board of a school division may notify that person’s employer on or after January 1 in the year of an election, but before the person’s last working day prior to nomination day, that the person is taking a leave of absence without pay. 

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they meet the eligibility requirements, and it is an offence to make a false statement on your nomination form. As per the Local Authorities Election Act Section 28, subsection 6 and 6.1, filed nomination papers may be requested by an individual to examine the filed nomination papers during regular business hours of the City Clerks department. These will be redacted in accordance with the law.
 Disqualification of Trustees
It is the responsibility of all candidates to determine if they meet the qualification criteria and are not in contravention of the following:

s.87 Education Act

A person is disqualified from remaining as a trustee of a board if that person:

  • other than a person appointed under section 84(1), ceases to be qualified for nomination as a trustee under the Local Authorities Election Act;
  • is an auditor or employee of the board for which the person is a trustee;
  • has breached the code of conduct of the board established under section 33, where the sanction for the breach under the code of conduct may be determined by the board to be disqualification;
  • is a party to a subsisting contract for the construction, maintenance or repair of real property over which the board has administration other than a contract for the provision of goods or services in an emergency;
  • beneficially owns more than 10% of the issued shares of a corporation that has a pecuniary interest in a subsisting contract for the construction, maintenance or repair of real property over which the board has administration other than a contract for the provision of goods or services in an emergency;
  • has a pecuniary interest in a contract with the board, other than
    • a contract for the provision of goods or services in an emergency,
    • a contract for the sale of goods or services to the board at competitive prices by a dealer in those goods or services incidental to and in the ordinary course of the dealer's business,
    • a contract of employment with the trustee's spouse or adult interdependent partner, child, parent or spouse's or adult interdependent partner's parent, or
    • a contract approved by the board pursuant to disclosure;
  • uses information gained through the person's position as a trustee of the board to gain a pecuniary benefit in respect of any matter in which the person has a pecuniary interest;
  • is a judge of a court or a member of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada or of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta;
  • is absent without being authorized by a resolution of the board from 3 consecutive regular meetings of the board, unless the person's absence is due to illness and the person provides evidence of that illness in the form of a medical certificate respecting the period of the person's absence;
  • is convicted of
  • an indictable offence punishable by imprisonment for 5 or more years, or
  • an offence under section 123 of the Criminal Code (Canada) for which an absolute discharge or pardon has not been granted.

Notwithstanding section 24 of the Local Authorities Election Act, a trustee of the board who is disqualified under this section is eligible to be elected at the next general election of trustees to the board if that person is qualified for nomination as a trustee under the Local Authorities Election Act.

Local contact for School Board Candidates

Public School Board

Leanne Dulle, Secretary Treasurer
leanne.dulle@sd76.ab.ca
403-528-6728

Catholic School Board

Greg MacPherson, Secretary Treasurer
greg.macpherson@mhcbe.ab.ca
403-502-8360