Although the election of school board trustees is often overshadowed by the larger campaigns of mayoral and council candidates, it is a vital part of the municipal election process.
“The school board race affects you whether you have kids in school or not,” said trustee candidate Jack Henry in a recent interview with kawarthaNOW. “That’s something that you should be paying attention to just as much as a council or mayor candidate.”
While new provincial legislation is reducing the role of trustees, they remain responsible for overseeing the budget of school boards, which receive the majority of their funding from the Ontario government based on the average daily enrolment of students in schools overseen by the board.
Education funding is used for activities associated with the core education funding pillars, including classroom staffing, learning resources, special education, school facilities, student transport, and school board administration.
“Parents, children, and community members in general deserve someone who’s going to look at how that’s spent,” Henry said.
Every property owner in a municipality pays for education
Regardless of whether a property owner in a municipality has children, school-age or otherwise, they must pay education tax at a rate set annually by the provincial government. The education tax rate is the same for all municipalities across Ontario.
The amount of education tax a property owner pays is based on the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) assessment of the property’s value. For 2026, the education tax rate for residential properties is set at 0.153 per cent of the assessed value of the property.
By default, education taxes are designated for the English public school board, unless a property owner contacts MPAC to change the designation to the English separate school board, the French public school board, or the French separate school board. The deadline to change the designation for the October 26 municipal election was June 1.
In the City of Peterborough, the English public school board is the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB), the English separate school board is Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB), the French public school board is Conseil Scolaire Viamonde (CSV), and the French separate school board is Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir (CSCMA).
KPRDSB consists of 10 elected trustees, including three from the municipality of Clarington, two from the City of Peterborough, two from Peterborough County, and three from Northumberland County, as well as one trustee appointed by Alderville First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, and Hiawatha First Nation.
PVNCCDSB consists of seven trustees, including two from Clarington, two from the City of Peterborough, one from Peterborough County, one from Kawartha Lakes, and one from Northumberland County.
Both CSV and CSCMA have 12 trustees, with each having one trustee who represents Peterborough.
Trustee candidates for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Longtime incumbent trustee Rose Kitney is not seeking re-election as a school board trustee. She has served as a trustee for KPRDSB continuously since 2000 and previously sat on the Peterborough Board of Education prior to its amalgamation in 1997. In 2026, Kitney filed her nomination papers to run for Peterborough city councillor in Monaghan Ward.
Incumbent trustee Steve Russell is also not seeking re-election. Russell was first elected to the board in 2018 and also served as board chair. He had been a teacher prior to his election to the board.
Three candidates will compete for the two available seats in this year’s election: Shawna Blackwood, Julie Chatten, and Jack Henry. Corey Scott, who was the first candidate to register as a public school board trustee candidate in July, has since withdrawn his nomination.
Blackwood is a lifelong Peterborough resident who currently works as a chef at The Railyard Cafe and Taphouse in Peterborough’s East City. She also has a background in education, as both a dance teacher and teaching assistant at Prince of Wales Public School and Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School.
“I want to participate — I love my hometown,” Blackwood told kawarthaNOW. “We can live in the past or we can work towards the now and the future.”
Chatten, who previously ran unsuccessfully for school board trustee in 2018, is a writer and parent who cites her experience as a member of the Lakefield District Public School council and other parent-led initiatives as her inspiration for running.
“My connection to education isn’t something that started with an election,” Chatten wrote on Instagram. “It’s something I’ve experienced as a parent, through my daughters’ education, and through my involvement in our school community.”
Henry is a graphic designer and business owner whose campaign focuses on on arts education, special education accountability, and financial transparency. Incumbent trustee Kitney has personally endorsed Henry’s candidacy.
In a recent interview with kawarthaNOW, Henry explained his motivations for running for trustee, despite not being directly connected to the school board either professionally or personally.
“KPR is eventually where my own kids are going to go,” he said. “The work to make the school board the best it can be starts now for me.”
“I’m a graphic designer. I got into that role through publicly funded arts classrooms, and I want to make sure that that opportunity is still around for future students.”
After filing their nomination papers to run for public school board trustee, Blackwood and Henry subsequently announced a collaborative campaign in which they are asking residents to use both of their available votes on their joint ticket.
“I’d much rather be collaborative, especially in a race where every community member has two votes,” Henry explained.
Trustee candidates for Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board
Incumbent separate school board trustee John Connolly will not stand in the election, after having been appointed to the board in September 2023 following the resignation of Mike Ayotte.
Incumbent separate school board trustee Loretta Durst is running for re-election. She was first appointed to the board in 2021 and was later elected in the 2022 municipal election. Professionally, Durst was a longtime administrator at Trent University where she also served on the board of governors.
“I would like to continue to promote student achievement, advocate for students, and be a voice of support for Catholic education,” Durst wrote on her website.
Also entering the race are Alex Delorey, Christine Haffie, Braden Leal, and Jacquelyn Roffey. Katerina Hutchins has withdrawn her nomination.
Delorey is a veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy and also served as a police officer. He currently sits on the boards of the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society and the 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic.
“Alex and his wife are raising their three children in Peterborough,” reads Delorey’s website. “Their children attend local Catholic schools, giving Alex the same practical interest in strong Catholic education shared by thousands of families across the community.”
Haffie is currently co-chair of the St. Anne Catholic Elementary School council.
After four years away, former board trustee Leal has re-entered the race. Leal’s website outlines his three main priorities: specialist high skills major programs, artificial intelligence, and the balanced day schedule.
“AI is becoming a major challenge in education, as it undermines academic integrity and the development of critical thinking skills,” Leal states on his website.
Roffey is a former teacher, non-profit professional, and parent. Her campaign values include “human centered learning” and “parents as partners”.
“I’m now the parent trusting our Catholic school system with two of the people who matter most to me. I see the incredible influence educators have on our children, and I understand the questions, hopes and concerns parents carry when they send their children through those doors each morning,” writes Roffey on her website.
Trustee candidates for Conseil Scolaire Viamonde and Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir
Neither French-language school board will see trustee elections this year due to acclamations for both boards.
For Conseil Scolaire Viamonde, incumbent trustee Kristine Dandavino initially filed for re-election but later withdrew her nomination. At the end of the nomination period on August 21, Erik LaPointe was acclaimed to the board as he was the sole candidate.
Similarly, Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir incumbent trustee Marcellin Kwilu Mondo was acclaimed, as there were no other candidates at the end of the nomination period on August 21. This will be Mondo’s second term after having been acclaimed in 2022. He currently serves as Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAveni vice-chair.
