Grand Council AG Aargau teachers can become members of the municipal council

In the canton of Aargau, teachers at municipal schools can be elected to the municipal council (executive) under certain conditions. This was decided unanimously by the Grand Council on Tuesday. Teachers may be employed in the same municipality for a maximum of 20 percent of their time.

The new rules, which will apply from July 2025, are a consequence of the abolition of traditional school boards. The Cantonal Education Act was amended accordingly in 2022.

Since then, the municipal council - instead of the school board as before - has been the directly superior authority of the municipal school. Teachers working in the municipality are therefore no longer allowed to serve as municipal councillors.

The amendment to the cantonal incompatibility law, which was approved by the Grand Council without discussion, stipulates that teachers will be treated like other municipal employees in future. They can be elected to the municipal council if they are employed in the same municipality for no more than 20 percent of their time.

This does not apply to head teachers whose office is not compatible with a seat on the municipal council. The same rule already applies to the head of finance of a municipality.