The Council of Commissioners
The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) is administered by a 23-member Council of Commissioners; 21 are elected by qualified registered electors in electoral divisions that cover the Board's territory from Verdun to the Ontario border, plus two Commissioners elected annually by the Central Parents' Committee. These parent representatives have the same rights and obligations as an elected Commissioner except that they to vote at the Council's public meetings.
The Council of Commissioners sets policy and administers the operation of the LBPSB, which has an annual budget of more than $200 million and over 4,000 full and part-time employees. General elections for the post of Commissioner are usually held every four years, but the government has prolonged the current term to an, as yet, undetermined date.
Commissioners receive an annual stipend, decreed by the provincial government, according to the size of the school board's population. The current base stipend is approximately $7800 per Commissioner. While the Council meets at the end of each month, making decisions in public by majority vote, it has also established many study committees to examine areas of Board operations. Such committees include, but are not limited to: Youth, Adult and Vocational Education; Human Resources; Audit; Governance and Ethics; Transportation; Facilities; and Communications. Most meetings are held in the evening, following the end of the regular workday, and each Commissioner normally attends several such sessions per month.
Commissioners make every effort to stay in touch with the school-based organizations that operate in their electoral division, in order to keep abreast of current issues. While the official spokesperson for the Board is the Chairman, Commissioners attend community and school-based meetings to act as a liaison. They do not guide, direct, or lead discussions or debate, and are subject to the regulations of the Education Act and policies of the LBPSB. Commissioners must also comply with conflict of interest regulations, as they apply to all elected officials in Quebec.
