AP 180: Political Electioneering
Administration of Policy and Legislation
Background
Elections in Alberta and Canada typically take place every three to five years. Aspiring politicians may seek to distribute materials at schools, since schools provide an avenue, through children, to access to a broad adult audience. The Superintendent is responsible for ensuring the proper conduct and for setting appropriate limits to political activity that may be conducted within schools.
Procedures
1. Campaigning in Division schools by individual candidates or parties for municipal, school board, provincial or federal elections shall be considered to be prohibited, with the following exceptions:
1.1. Schools may organize all-candidate forums for educational purposes;
1.2. School space may be rented after hours by a candidate or party on a commercial use basis; and
1.3. Political candidates and/or their representatives may speak to groups, or assemblies, preferably during non-school hours, provided the attendance is by invitation and is voluntary, and provided that all political candidates are provided with an equitable opportunity to present and/or participate.
2. The posting or distribution of campaign materials associated with elections on lands or within buildings owned by the Division is prohibited, with the following exceptions:
2.1. Election materials posted and distributed in that portion of a school rented for a campaign meeting or being used for an all-candidates forum; however
2.1.1. All political materials shall be removed from school premises at the end of any such meeting;
2.2. Election materials used as classroom teaching resources, on the condition that support for an individual candidate or political party is not solicited; and
2.3. Election materials posted regarding the process of school board elections, as directed by the Board, on the condition that support for an individual candidate is not solicited.
3. Notwithstanding exceptions defined in this procedure, political campaign materials and political literature, in general, shall not be distributed through the school or sent home to parents.
4. Political candidates and/or their representatives shall not have access, during school hours, to school classes or assemblies on behalf of their candidacy or on behalf of their party/constituency for the purpose of solicitation of support.
5. The School Council Chair may invite candidates for the position of trustee to participate in an information session at a School Council meeting, provided all trustee candidates for the ward in which the school resides are provided with an equitable opportunity; notably
5.1. The Alberta School Councils Association has produced reference material in this regard.
6. The Principal shall report any unusual circumstances that may originate from political electioneering to the Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services.
7. The Associate Superintendent, Corporate Supports and Services may be requested to rule on extraordinary requests within the parameters of this administrative procedure.
7.1. Any such occurrence will be reported to the Board as information.
Approved:
