Casual Vacancy on Board of Trustees

By OBHS Board of Trustees | Posted: Thursday May 17, 2018

All New Zealand state and state-integrated schools have a board of trustees, which is responsible for the governance and control of management of the school and ultimately accountable for the school’s performance. One of our current parent representatives, Liane Topham-Kindley, explains the current situation with a casual vacancy on the board.

Following the departure of Peter Young, an elected parent representative on the Board of Trustees, a casual vacancy has occurred on the board for a parent representative.

The board has resolved under section 105 of the Education Act 1989 to fill the vacancy by selection. However, if ten percent or more of eligible voters on the school roll ask the board (by 30 May) to hold a by-election to fill the vacancy, rather than appoint by selection, then a by-election will be held.

We would like to formally thank Peter for his services to the Otago Boys’ High School board of trustees. Peter was elected to the board in 2012, initially completing a full three-year tenure prior to being re-elected as a parent representative at the most recent elections for a new board in 2016. It has been a period of significant change for the school, with Peter being a part of the board which appointed our Rector, Richard Hall, and former Deputy Rector, Andy Turner.

The term of the current board ends early next year when a full election for the entire board of five parent representatives will be held. Current board members are: Andy Kilsby (Chairperson), Anna Campbell, Lawrence Alloo, Liane Topham-Kindley (elected parent representatives), Co-opted parent representatives Janine Kapa-Blair (Maori) and Russell Marsh (Hostel), Staff representative Emma Moore and Student Representative Louis Harris.

Any eligible voter who wishes to ask the board to hold a by-election should write to: Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Otago Boys’ High School, PO Box 11, Dunedin 9054.