Manitoba's school boards have one purpose: to provide our students with the best schools possible.
School boards help students prepare for the future by providing specialized programming for those who are gifted, and for those with special needs.
In Canada, provinces are responsible for our public education system. Provincial governments have delegated a portion of that responsibility to school boards. School boards are elected governing bodies, not unlike municipal councils. However, unlike municipal councils, school boards have one responsibility: to manage the public school system within a school division.
The provincial education ministry establishes minimum standards that all public schools must meet. These standards include the number and type of credits required for high school graduation and the content of curricula in specific courses. School boards are responsible for seeing that these minimum standards are met, but they may also provide enhanced levels of programming or service. In Manitoba, for example, public schools must offer grades 1 to 12; kindergarten is optional. However, all school boards have elected to offer either full or half-day kindergarten programs, and some offer pre-kindergarten programs as well.
School boards may require additional credits for high school graduation, or make mandatory courses that are optional provincially. They may implement courses or programs dedicated to a heritage language when a community identifies cultural preservation as a priority. They may offer Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs to challenge high-achieving students and give them a head start at their university studies, or offer sheltered work experience placements for students with special needs.
Manitoba’s public schools are supported financially by a combination of provincial government grants and revenue generated locally by education property taxes levied by school boards.