Information about School Board Trustees

2026 is an Election year! Our election pages will be updated with the most current information in the next couple of months. Our team is currently working behind-the-scenes to get us ready. Keep checking back for important dates, voter and candidate information, and more. 

School Board Trustees

A school board operates the province’s publicly funded schools.

There are four main types of publicly funded school boards in Ontario:

  • English Public School Boards
  • English Catholic School Boards
  • French Public School Boards
  • French Catholic School Boards

This means, that all children from eligible families in Ontario can attend up to four different publicly funded schools. The four school boards covering the area of Kawartha Lakes are:

Is French Immersion the same as a French Language School Board? No, French Language School Boards are completely separate from English School Boards with schools offering 'French Immersion' programs. A French Language Board offers all courses, school programming, and parental communication in French. In Kawartha Lakes, many students attending a French-Public School go to a school in Pickering, and French-Catholic students go to a school in Peterborough.

School Board Trustee Elections

School Board Trustee elections are held simultaneously with elections for Kawartha Lakes City Council.

Elected Trustees make up a school board. The number of Trustees on a board is based on the population in the board’s area of jurisdiction.

Within Kawartha Lakes there presently are:

Role of a School Board

The Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) describes School Boards as follows: 

A school board is a body that operates the province's publicly funded schools. The school board is governed by its publicly elected board members (the board of trustees). Collectively, boards of trustees set the vision for the school board, develop policies, allocate resources and set the goals that lay the foundation and drive programs and operations in the school board.

Trustees can be elected to one of four different school board systems: English Public, English Catholic, French Public and French Catholic.

A fundamental pillar of a democratic society is free education for its citizens. Ontario's publicly funded school boards provide high standards in programming and ensure that there are supports and resources to help all students to reach those standards.

The responsibilities of school boards are set out in Ontario's Education Act which states that every school board shall:

  • promote student achievement and well-being;
  • promote a positive school climate that is inclusive and accepting of all pupils including pupils of any race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability;
  • promote the prevention of bullying;
  • ensure effective stewardship of the board's resources;
  • deliver effective and appropriate education programs to its pupils;
  • develop and maintain policies and organizational structures that,
    1. promote the board's goals and,
    2. encourage pupils to pursue their educational goals;
  • monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of policies developed by the board in achieving the board's goals and the efficiency of the implementation of those policies;
  • develop a multi-year plan aimed at achieving the board's goals;
  • annually review the multi-year plan with the board's Director of Education or the supervisory officer acting as the board's Director of Education; and
  • monitor and evaluate the performance of the board's Director of Education, or the supervisory officer acting as the board's Director of Education, in meeting,
    1. his or her duties under this Act or any policy, guideline or regulation made under this Act, (including duties under the multi-year plan), and
    2. any other duties assigned by the board.

Beyond these broad areas of accountability, the Education Act also spells out duties for school boards that include such obligations as overseeing the effective operation of schools, setting the board's budget, overseeing implementation of the Ministry's curriculum policies, and ensuring that appropriate staff are hired as required by schools.

Boards will also make determinations about such matters as pupil transportation, school libraries, continuing education, and childcare facilities on school sites. More details can be found in section 170 of the Education Act.

A school board is not:

  • a parliament with party divisions. A school board is a single body made up of members, i.e., trustees. A school board should speak with one voice on the decisions it has collectively made.
  • interested only in the opinions of families with children. A school board must recognize that all of society has a stake in public education.
  • a sub-committee of the municipality. In fact, school boards govern budgets substantially greater than those of most municipalities.
  • a closed or private body. All school boards are public institutions and their meetings are open to the public subject to certain exceptions (see section 207 of the Education Act).

Contact the local school board or visit their website for further details.

Role of a School Board Trustee

The role of a School Board Trustee is changing. However, fundamentally school board trustees:

  • Approve annual board budget;
  • As part of the Board, deliberate and establish policies as authorized by the Education Act;
  • Monitor implementation of Ministry of Education and Board policy and programs; and
  • Consult, represent and advocate for the constituents in their ward.

Further details of what a School Board Trustee does can be found at the Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) website. 

You can also contact the local school board or visit their website for further details.

School Board Trustee Qualifications

For the position of School Board Trustee you must be:

  • A Canadian citizen;
  • At least 18 years of age;
  • A resident in the area of jurisdiction in the School Board;
  • Eligible to vote for the school board; and
  • Not disqualified to hold office by any legislation.

You must not be:

  • any person not eligible to vote for the school board;
  • an employee of any school board, or clerk, deputy clerk, treasurer or deputy treasurer of a municipality within the jurisdiction of a board, unless they take an unpaid leave of absence before being nominated, and resign, if elected to the office;
  • a judge of any court;
  • a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a Senator or a member of the House of Commons; or
  • an inmate of a penal or correctional institution under sentence of imprisonment.

School Board Employees

Employees of any school boards (including supply teachers) are disqualified from being elected as school board trustee or from holding office on any school boards, except during a leave of absence. The employee must be on a leave of absence before filing their nomination paper. They must provide the City Clerk with documentation showing that they have taken the leave of absence and the effective date.

 

Trustee Residency Requirements

To run for School Board Trustee you must live in the area of the jurisdiction. This means you may be eligible to run for a School Board Trustee seat in Kawartha Lakes even if you aren't a resident of Kawartha Lakes (but are a resident within the school board elsewhere). It also means that a Kawartha Lakes resident may run for an office outside of Kawartha Lakes, but still within the school board.

Examples:

  • A resident of Haliburton County may run for the English Public School Board Trustee Office for the Trustee position of Kawartha Lakes Wards 1 & 4 (both the resident and the office are within the area of the Trillium Lakelands District School Board jurisdiction)
  • A resident of Kawartha Lakes may run for the English Catholic School Board Trustee Office for a Trustee position in Clarington (both the resident and the office are within the area of the PVNCCDSB jurisdiction).

Section 219 of the Education Act states:

Qualifications of members

219 (1) A person is qualified to be elected as a member of a district school board or school authority if the person is qualified to vote for members of that district school board or that school authority and is resident in its area of jurisdiction.  1997, c. 31, s. 112.

Same

(2) A person who is qualified under subsection (1) to be elected as a member of a district school board or school authority is qualified to be elected as a member of that district school board or school authority for any geographic area in the district school board’s or school authority’s area of jurisdiction, regardless of which positions on that district school board or school authority the person may be qualified to vote for.

Nominations

School Board Trustee nominations are accepted by appointment only at the Kawartha Lakes City Clerk's Office, City Hall (26 Francis St in Lindsay, ON). The last day to file a nomination is August 21, 2026 at 2:00pm.

School Board Trustee Nominations follow most of the same procedures as a candidate for Municipal Council. The one major exception is the requirement for 25 endorsements which is mandatory for the Office of Mayor and Councillor, but not required for School Board Trustees.

For more information on candidate nominations, rules, and procedures visit the Candidates Section of our website. 

Resources

For more information on running for a School Board Trustee, visit the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association website that offers various guides and tips for School Board Trustees.

The Ontario Education Services Corporation has also compiled a Guide for School Board Trustee Candidates.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has produced a Guide for candidates for municipal council and school board offices.

Trustee use of school board resources during a municipal and school board election campaign, applicable to the Trillium Lakelands District School Board.

You can also visit the four School Board websites:

  1. Trillium Lakelands District School Board
  2. Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
  3. Conseil scolaire Viamonde
  4. Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir

Contact Us

Kawartha Lakes 
P.O. Box 9000, 26 Francis Street
Lindsay, ON, K9V 5R8
Telephone: 705-324-9411
Toll free at 1-888-822-2225
After-hours emergencies: 1-877-885-7337

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