Welcome to the Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC)

The Vancouver District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) represents the collective voice of parents and caregivers in Vancouver public schools. We are dedicated to supporting parent engagement, fostering communication between families and the Vancouver School Board (VSB), and advocating for equitable education opportunities for all students.

Our Mission

Vancouver DPAC’s mission is to:

• Support parent and caregiver involvement in schools and education decision-making.
• Represent parent perspectives to the Vancouver School Board (VSB).
• Promote inclusivity, equity, and transparency in public education policies.
• Provide resources, information, and workshops to empower families.

What We Do

• Advocacy – We amplify parent voices on key issues affecting education policies, school safety, child care, and student well-being.
• Communication – We facilitate conversations between parents, schools, and the VSB.
• Support – We provide resources, training, and guidance to Parent Advisory Councils (PACs).
• Events and Workshops – We host guest speakers, forums, and informational sessions for parents and school communities.

Policies and Legislation

We are required to comply with the Vancouver School Board’s guiding principles and government legislation. Here’s a list of important documents all PAC members should be aware of:

• AP 111: District Parents’ Advisory Council
• AP 110: Parents’ Advisory Councils
• AP504: District Parents’ Advisory Council Expenditure Guidelines
• Order in Council – Statement of Education Policy Order (Mandate for the School System) 1280/89
  
  Other optional primary documents documents for you to read include the following:
• VSB Administrative Procedures
• Manual of School Law K – 12
• BC School Act

DPAC Governance

Any parent or caregiver may attend our meetings. Our voting members are the DPAC representatives or PAC Chair from each PAC, and only one vote per PAC is permitted. PACs can nominate their members to become Executives at DPAC.

DPAC’s organization includes spaces for 12 Executives and 4 officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary).

The work of the Executives is governed by VSB policies, the law referred to above, and DPAC Bylaws and DPAC Policies.

The Executives create and support Working Groups, which are formed to delve into specific educational issues.

Roles and Responsibilities

Learn more about the duties and functions of our leadership team on our DPAC Roles & Responsibilities page.

DPAC Executives

For a list of Executives, please visit our DPAC Executives page.