School board of trustee elections are the largest democratic event in the country, involving the election of a board of trustees for almost 2,500 state and state-integrated schools every three years.

More than 15,000 Kiwis are on school boards of trustees.

Nominations for this year’s elections open on 15 April 2013.

If you like to work as part of a team and are eager to put students at the heart of every decision you make, then your school needs you to step up.

Trustees don’t have to be parents or have children at the school they stand for.

It is about getting people with a mix of skills and experience to step forward and become a board member of their local school.

I encourage anyone who is interested in making their school a better place through sound governance to put their hand up.