The role of the proprietor's appointee
All state-integrated schools have proprietor’s appointees on their board.
Unless the board has an alternative constitution, a standard school board membership has four proprietor appointees.
Section 119 open_in_new and section 120open_in_new of the Education and Training Act 2020 (the Act) covers this, and we're unpacking the role of the proprietor's appointee in this article.
What is a proprietor?
State-integrated schools used to be private schools but are now part of the state system.
They differ from other state schools because a private entity (the "proprietor") owns the school buildings and land.
The proprietor is responsible for ensuring the facilities meet Ministry of Education standards.
Through appointees to the board, the proprietor ensures the special character of the school or kura is protected and enhanced.
Special characters may include Catholic, Anglican, Jewish, Methodist, Montessori, Muslim, non-denominational, Christian, Presbyterian, Rudolph Steiner, and Seventh Day Adventist.
Find out more about state-integrated schools from:
What is a proprietor's appointee?
A proprietor's appointee is a full member of your school board.
They have the same standing, voice, vote, and accountability as any other member.
They can also be appointed to the role of the presiding member.
Like any other board member, they are not an advocate for those who elected/appointed them.
Instead, they bring a proprietor perspective to your board's discussions and decision-making. Much like the parent-elected representative brings a community view.
They should focus on and vote for what best suits the interests of the school, its students, and its staff.
A proprietor's appointee might have additional reporting requirements to the proprietor. This usually relates to property maintenance and the special character of the school.
How does the proprietor appoint someone to your board?
The proprietor will usually appoint members to your board at the same time as your board's triennial elections or staggered (mid-term) elections.
If a proprietor's appointee resigns or can no longer fill the position, the proprietor and your board must be informed.
This creates a vacancy for a proprietor appointee, which the proprietor will fill.
Who can be a proprietor's appointee?
The proprietor chooses who they appoint to your board.
Potential candidates must meet the eligibility criteriaopen_in_new for becoming a board member and sign the eligibility declaration formopen_in_new.
Should a proprietor's appointee bring concerns and complaints to your board?
No – not directly.
In the same way, parent representatives cannot bring a complaint from their community to your board; a proprietor's appointee cannot voice concerns and complaints from the proprietor.
All board members must use the school's internal processes and tikanga if they have any concerns or complaints.
Can a proprietor's appointee be excluded from dealing with certain matters?
A proprietor's appointee has the same rights as any other board member.
They are entitled to attend all board meetings, including public-excluded discussions, provided they don't have a financial interest in or conflict of interest with the matter being discussed.
If they do, they only need to be excluded from that part of the meeting.
Ideally, they will make your board aware of their financial interest or conflict of interest before the meeting, but that's not always possible.
They may declare and exclude themselves during a discussion.
What is a proprietor's appointee's relationship with the staff and the school community?
A proprietor's appointee is a school board member and part of the school community.
While at board meetings, they are part of the employing body of the school.
For the rest of the time, they are just like anybody else. If they are a parent, they will interact with their children's teacher the same as any other parent would.
The same goes for when a proprietor's appointee is dealing with other school community members.
Outside of board meetings, they do not represent or speak on behalf of the board.
This may not be clear to everyone. Be mindful of people who see all actions of board members as if it were official board business, rather than just the actions of members of the community going about their everyday lives.
Questions your board could ask
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How many proprietor appointees do we have on our board?
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Do our proprietor's appointees understand their role on the board?
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Does our community understand the role of the proprietor's appointees?
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Do our proprietor's appointees know the resources and support available to them?
Templates, resources, and references
Click on the link(s) below to access the templates, resources, and references related to this topic.
These may download or open in a separate browser depending on your device.
School board elections website
- Eligibility criteriaopen_in_new
- Eligibility declaration formopen_in_new
- Community member guide to the role of the school boardopen_in_new
New Zealand Catholic Education Office
Association of Integrated Schools Aotearoa NZ
Education and Training Act 2020