Board of trustees by-elections - expenses reimbursement
Boards are entitled to claim a refund of actual and reasonable expenses incurred in holding board of trustee by-elections for parent representatives only. Boards can also claim a limited refund where a staff by-election is held.
Ineligible claims
No claim can be made for expenses for filling co-opted member positions, or for the election of student representatives.
Fees
Before the by-election work begins, boards should come to an agreement with the returning officer and any clerical staff required to assist the returning officer during the process on the amount of their fees.
There is a generally accepted formula to calculate the returning officer’s fee although boards are not bound by this. A reasonable fee for the returning officer is considered to be 50% of the election grant base amount, and 25% of the per pupil amount.
Maximum reimbursement
The Ministry limits maximum reimbursements according to a formula related to school rolls, and to the funding rates used at the previous triennial election.
The formula used to calculate the maximum funding available for reimbursement is the same as that used for board of trustee triennial elections. That is, the per pupil amount multiplied by the provisional roll, plus the base grant.
Where a voting election is not held, the maximum reimbursement for a by-election is limited to 70% of the maximum funding described above. Boards that have to hold a voting election can claim up to the full amount.
If there is any uncertainty about reasonable expenditure, consult the Resourcing Division.
Note: In the case of a by-election, reimbursements are made at the conclusion of the process, not in advance.
Process
The table below outlines the process of reimbursement from the Ministry:
| Step |
Action |
| 1 |
When the by-election work is finished, complete the BOT By-Elections Reimbursement form, available from the Resourcing Forms page. Ensure that the form has been signed by both the board chairperson or secretary, and the returning officer. |
| 2 |
Attach to the claim form all receipts and evidence of expenditure, including returning officer fees, otherwise refunds cannot be made. This is necessary whether or not a vote was held. Invoices from boards to the Ministry are not acceptable as evidence of expenditure. |
| 3 |
Send the completed application form and supporting information to the Resourcing Division:
Resourcing Division
Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Wellington 6140 |
| 4 |
The returning officer must complete the New Membership of Board of Trustees: Appendix F form. The form is available at www.nzsta.org.nz, under Election and Voting forms, or can be found in the returning officer's handbook, published on the NZSTA website.
The completed form must be submitted within one week of the declaration of election results, and send it to:
Data Collection Unit
Education Information and Analysis
Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666
Wellington 6140 |