Public input

Aside from the small number of federally controlled and private schools, most elementary and secondary schools in Canada are run by local school boards operating under provincial statutes. These boards are largely funded by provincial governments or property taxes. In 2002, local school boards received and spent $35.7 billion, with $8.0 billion collected from real property taxes, $25.5 billion from provincial and territorial government transfers, and $2.2 billion from fees and other income sources.

In addition to funding local school boards, provincial governments also formulate curriculum guidelines and participate in the selection of textbooks and other reference materials. Local school boards are primarily responsible for staff, school buildings, supplies and maintenance.

During the Depression, thousands of local school districts dotted the West. Many of those were responsible for one-room schools. A 1937 article on school administration in Maclean's noted the difficulties inherent in that kind of system: "at present in Saskatchewan we have over 5,000 purchasing and employing agencies, 5,000 paid secretaries, paid auditors, separate bank accounts, 5,000 non-correlating non-co-operating units."

In recent years, Canada's public education system has reduced the number of its local school boards. By 1994, Alberta had cut the number of its school boards to 150; the province then halved that number two years later. New Brunswick replaced its school boards in 1996 with parent councils.