Three Trustees were elected from the ranks of the ratepayers. One was elected to serve three years, another for two years and one more for a year, to ensure continuity of operation.
An Annual Public Meeting was held about the middle of January of each year, at the school house. The meeting was open to all and presided over by the Chairman of the School Board. The minutes of these meetings were recorded by the Secretary. The minutes include a list of attendees, a record of the discussion of school business, the reading and passing of the Auditor's Report and Financial Statement, and the reading of and comments on the School Inspector's Report. During the meeting the election of Trustees was held: The floor was declared open 1 hour for nominations, a vote, if necessary, was taken, the ballots were counted and a winner declared.
School Board Meetings: The first Board meeting of the year was held just after the Annual Meeting.
The new Trustees signed a declaration of office, a Chairman was appointed for the year. A secretary-treasurer, assessor and auditor were appointed for the year and a resolution as to money business authorization for the secretary was passed.
Other Board meetings were held more or less bi-monthly throughout the year, usually in the Secretary's house in Wabamun. Records were kept of the Trustees attending and the authorization of payments for supplies, teacher and labour and maintenance contracts. School opening and closing dates were decided, and the Board considered applications and hired teachers as necessary.
Once a year, usually in April, the Board sat as a Court of Revisions for tax appeals, setting the mill rate and authorizing the collecting of taxes for the year.
Special Public Meetings were sometimes held, to replace a resigned Board member or on some other matter of interest that could not wait for the Annual Meeting.
Special Board Meetings were sometimes called, to handle teacher resignations and replacement, to change school opening and closing dates, or for various reasons.
Appointment resolutions at the first Board meeting of the year followed a pretty well fixed formula, as in 1930:
Secretary
Prop. by Trustee Woollard, seconded by Trustee Astleford and carried:
"That Thomas Street be appointed Secretary - Treasurer, for the year 1930, Salary Fifty-five dollars,($55.00) to be paid quarterly; and that he be authorized to obtain all necessary Stationery, Stamps and Supplies, during this year 1930."
Assessor
Prop. by Trustee Astleford, seconded by Trustee Woollard
"That Thomas Street be appointed Assessor for 1930; and that he be instructed to make the Assessment, and collect Taxes, as usual, the Mill Rate to be 15 mills on the dollar, with 5% discount."
Money Business
Prop. by Trustee Astleford, sec. by Trustee Woollard
"That the Secretary Treasurer of the Sylvan School District, of the Province of Alberta, do deposit in the name of the said Sylvan School District in the Royal Bank of Canada all monies received by him, on account of the said Sylvan School District. That all cheques, drafts and bills of exchange, payable to the order of the said School District be endorsed by the Secretary Treasurer thereof for deposit in the Royal Bank of Canada, to the credit of the said Sylvan School District. That all cheques of the said Sylvan School District be drawn in the name of the said Sylvan School District and signed by the Secretary Treasurer thereof over the Official Stamp, and sealed. That the usual receipts for cheques returned, and certificates of balance, be signed on behalf of the said Sylvan School District #1739, by the Secretary Treasurer thereof."
This wording, with minor variations, was used throughout the minute books of Sylvan from 1925 onward.