School council's annual general meeting and member elections

The annual general meeting (AGM) is an important meeting and has special rules.

It's held at the start of the year.

The AGM informs families, staff and the whole community of the activities of the school and school council over the past year.

Watch the video

In the video below, you will learn about:

• why an AGM is held
• what happens at an AGM, including -
  • when the AGM is held
  • electing new members
  • member responsibilities at the AGM
• special general meetings – why they're held and what members discuss.

Dates

The AGM must be held on or before 15 March each year.

If this is not possible, the Department of Education's chief executive must give permission to hold the meeting after this date.

Advertisements

The principal must notify the community of the AGM at least 14 days before it happens.

All parents, school staff and members of the school community should be encouraged to attend.

The notice should:

• include the date, time and location of the AGM
• include information on the requirement to hold or be able to get a working with children clearance (Ochre card)
• be advertised in the school newsletter, website, social media, noticeboards and around the school grounds.

Information should also be made available that clearly outlines:

• positions vacant and how these positions work on the school council
• how to nominate for a position
• what happens if a vote is needed for a position
• items on the agenda
• AGM reports.

How the AGM is run

Your principal will guide you through the AGM process.

At the AGM, your school council will:

• look at what the school and school council did and how it spent its money over the past year
• sign off on the school’s audited finance records that have been checked by an accountant
• elect new parent members.

The AGM has a specific agenda that the school council should follow.

If there's any other business that people want to discuss, it should be included on the agenda for the general meeting that comes right after the AGM.

To help you stay on track, use the AGM agenda and other templates on the NT COGSO website.

The basic requirements for your AGM are outlined in your school council constitution.

Usually, an AGM will proceed as follows:

1. Welcome and apologies

Chair welcomes attendees and apologies are recorded in the minutes.

2. Confirmation of previous minutes

Previous year’s AGM minutes are distributed and accepted by members who attended the previous AGM.

3. Reports

• The principal reports on the activities of the school in the previous year.
• The chair reports on the activities of the school council in the previous year.
• The treasurer presents and explains the audited financial report.
  • An AGM must not take place without the audited financial report.
  • The school council accepts the audited financial report if it's a true record of how money was spent. This is also called moved and carried.
  • The report must then be signed by the chair, and a copy sent to the department’s chief executive as soon as possible after the AGM.

4. Members are nominated and elected

The returning officer takes over from the chair during the nomination and election process.

The returning officer:

• must be an independent person to oversee the election of members
  • this means they can't run for the position of chair, treasurer or secretary
• may be a member continuing on the school council from last year
• may be someone from NT COGSO if invited by the school council.

The returning officer outlines:

• the number of positions vacant
• the term of each position (how long each position will be elected for)
• their duties as per the constitution.

Your school council may ask for people to nominate before the AGM or this might happen at the AGM.

The returning officer will tell the school council when it's time to decide who will be elected to each vacant position.

Where a vote is needed, the returning officer will carry out a secret ballot and tally votes.

• Parent members elect new parent members.
• Teacher members elect new teacher members.
  • They must do this at a meeting before the AGM.
  • Elected teacher members are then accepted at the AGM.
• Student members elect new student members.
  • They must do this at a meeting before the AGM.
  • Elected student members are then accepted at the AGM.

Once votes are counted, the returning officer announces the new members.

Election of any vacant office bearer positions should happen at the meeting after the AGM.

If the current chair is staying in the position, they'll take over from the returning officer for the rest of the meeting.

5. Appoint the auditor

The chair moves a motion to appoint the auditor for next year’s audited financial report. The same auditor or firm of auditors can be appointed for a maximum of 3 consecutive years.

6. Close

The chair thanks everyone for attending and closes the AGM.

First meeting after the AGM

Another meeting is held right after the AGM.

This is where you talk about more general school council matters and elect the office bearers if these positions are empty.

You don’t need to leave the AGM and come back to this meeting as it often continues in the same room.