School Advisory Councils

School Advisory Councils (SACs) play an important role in supporting student success at the community-level.

2025 School Advisory Council (SAC) Provincial Conference

SAC Innovation Fund

Background

Legislative Authority

Resources

2025 School Advisory Council (SAC) Provincial Conference

Addressing our collective responsibility in promoting student achievement and wellbeing for every student, every day.

This year’s conference will be held on Friday November 28, 2025, at the Halifax Convention Centre, 5th Floor Ballroom Level, 1650 Argyle Street, in Halifax. We look forward to welcoming you to a full day of networking, learning and sharing best practices.

Registration

Registration is now open for SAC Chairs and Principals (or their delegates). Please note we can only accommodate 2 attendees per SAC.
Please click on the link below to register your attendance at the SAC fall conference.
We ask that you complete your registration before September 26, 2025.

Hotel Options

Blocks of hotel rooms have been reserved at four hotels in downtown Halifax (see pg. 2). Please contact the hotel directly to reserve your room. When you contact the hotel, ensure you let them know you are booking as part of the Provincial SAC Conference. Please ensure your hotel accommodations are booked prior to the deadline of October 27th, 2025.

Hotel	Nights with Availability	Booking Link	Phone Number
Prince George Clickable Maps Link: 1725 Market St, Halifax, NS B3J 3M3	November 27th (TH) November 28th (F) Rate: $169(+ tax)/night	Booking Link	902.425.1986
Hotel Halifax Clickable Maps Link: Scotia Square, 1990 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 1P2	November 27th (TH) Rate: $169(+ tax)/night	Booking Link	902.425.6700
Barrington Hotel Clickable Maps Link: 1875 Barrington St, Halifax, NS B3J 3L6	November 27th (TH) November 28th (F) Rate: $179(+ tax)/night	Booking Link	902.429.7410
Sutton Place Clickable Maps Link: 1700 Grafton St, Halifax, NS B3J 2C4	November 27th (TH) November 28th (F) Rate: $249(+ tax)/night	Booking Link or code 2511NSSAC when calling the hotel	902.932.7548

Rooms are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.
If there are no rooms left in the block at one hotel, you will have to contact another hotel where EECD has blocked rooms.
If you are unable to secure a room in any of the blocks at the hotels listed above, please contact Katelyn Hipson at katelynhipson@zed.ca

Please note: If you are no longer able to attend the SAC Conference, you are responsible to cancel any hotel accommodations you have booked. Expenses will not be reimbursed for those who do not attend the conference.

Common Questions and Answers

Information about registration, logistics, travel and accommodation.

I am not sure who will be the SAC Chair at my school next year. Can another SAC member register?

If the Chair is unable to attend, or you do not know who the Chair will be, another SAC member can register in their place.

It is important that as many registrations as possible are received by September 30th, 2025, to allow EECD to prepare for the event based on the number of expected attendees.

If you have questions, please contact Katelyn Hipson at katelynhipson@zed.ca.

I registered but am now unable to attend. How do I cancel my registration and register another SAC member from my school?

Please get in touch with Katelyn Hipson at katelynhipson@zed.ca to cancel your registration. Once cancelled, another SAC member from your school will be able to register.

Please note: You are responsible for cancelling any hotel accommodation you have booked (more information below).

The principal is unable to attend the conference. Who else can attend?

If the principal is unavailable, another administrator, such as a vice-principal, could attend in their place. However, if no administrators are available, the principal can delegate their registration to another SAC member.

We have more than one SAC member interested in attending, can we register more than just the SAC Chair and principal?

Given the number of schools in the province, we are only able to accommodate two representatives from each school. This is intended for the SAC Chair and principal, but as stated above, delegates may attend in their place if the Chair and principal are unable to attend.

If your SAC represents more than one school and you want to discuss options, please contact Katelyn Hipson at katelynhipson@zed.ca

Am I eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses such as mileage or a hotel?

Anyone travelling to the conference may submit travel expense claims for mileage and parking to their Regional Centre for Education (RCE) or Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP).

All travel expense claims are to be submitted directly to your RCE/CSAP.

If you are travelling from over 100km away, you are also eligible to be reimbursed for one night of hotel accommodation on Thursday, November 27th.
If you are travelling from over 300km away, you are eligible to be reimbursed for an additional night of hotel accommodation on Friday, November 28th.
Meal expenses will also be reimbursed (at per diem rates) for those with hotel accommodation.

All expenses are paid up front by the conference attendees (including parking and hotel). For more information, please contact your RCE/CSAP.

How do I get reimbursed for travel expenses?

All travel expense claims will be submitted directly to your RCE or CSAP.

Additional information about how to submit travel expense claims and other logistical information will be shared with participants in advance of the conference.

2024 SAC Conference

The first annual SAC Conference was held on Friday, September 27, 2024 at the Halifax Convention Centre.

Copies of the 2024 breakout session presentations are available below.

Curriculum in Nova Scotia

Funding for School-Based Initiatives

Inclusive Education in Nova Scotia: Well-Being Supports for Students

Literacy and Math Strategies

Nova Scotia’s RCEs/CSAP Accessibility Plans

School Advisory Councils (SAC): Roles, Responsibilities and Membership

Student Success Planning: Evidence Based Decision-Making

Three Braids Administrator Training: Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination

Understanding the Policy Development Process

SAC Innovation Fund

The SAC Innovation Fund provides grants up to $10,000 to SACs to support innovative ideas to support student achievement and well-being and address real problems experienced by students and schools.

This funding is intended to provide an opportunity to add value to the educational experience of students at their school.

Applications for 2025-26 are now closed!

All application status updates will be sent to SAC Chairs, School Principals, and SAC Regional Representatives.

We encourage you to consider applying in the future and to stay connected with your Regional SAC Coordinator for upcoming opportunities.

The 2025 Application Form can be found here: SAC Innovation Fund Application Form
The 2025 Application Guidelines can be found here: SAC Innovation Fund Application Guidelines 2025-26
To see general feedback from the Review Committee on the 2024-25 Innovation fund applications: School Advisory Council (SAC) Innovation Fund - Feedback for applicants
A list of 2024-25 funded projects can be found here: Innovation Fund - Projects Selected for Funding
An example of a successful Innovation Fund application from the previous year can be found here: SAC Innovation Fund Example
The Final Report Template can be found here: SAC Innovation Fund Final Report Template

If there are any questions, please contact the Regional SAC representative. If unsure of who the Regional SAC representative is, please contact your school principal.

Background

SACs are volunteer organizations that receive their authority from the Education Act (2018). The establishment of SACs and their roles and responsibilities are set out in the Education Act and the Ministerial Education Act Regulations.

Engagement on how to enhance local voice in the public education system resulted in additional actions that strengthen the role of SACs. Please visit Strengthening Local Voices in Education to learn more.

SACs are advisory bodies to individual school principals, regional centres for education (RCEs), and the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP) on a range of issues related to their local schools and the overall school system.
SAC membership can vary, but generally consists of the school principal, parents/guardians, teachers, other school staff, students, and community members. SAC membership should reflect the diversity of the school community.
In 2018, focus groups were conducted with SAC chairs and principals about enhancing the role of SACs. As a result, SACs now have a stronger voice in regional and provincial policy development, more professional development and networking opportunities, and a budget that supports the SACs mandate and operations.

Parents/guardians and community members who want to get involved in their school’s SAC can contact the school principal. Each RCE and the CSAP have a staff person who is responsible for supporting SACs.