Most residents have never voted in a school board election with a clear sense of what the job actually involves. Here's a straightforward answer.

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York Region District School Board (YRDSB) is governed by elected trustees representing communities across York Region's nine municipalities. Trustees are responsible for:

• Setting board-wide policy — on student well-being, equity, program priorities, and educational direction

• Approving the board's strategic plan and holding board leadership accountable to it

• Serving on committees — finance, learning, governance — where board decisions are shaped

• Acting as your elected point of contact — if you have a concern about a school, program, or board decision, a trustee is who you bring it to

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Trustees don't run schools day to day. That's the job of principals, superintendents, and board staff. A trustee's role is governance and representation — deciding direction and priorities, and making sure the community's voice is part of that process.

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What Changed Under Bill 101

In 2026, the Ontario government passed the Putting Student Achievement First Act, which changed how school boards operate across the province.

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Leadership was restructured. Boards previously had a single Director of Education. That role is now split into two positions: a Chief Executive Officer, responsible for finances and operations, and a Chief Education Officer, responsible for student achievement and instruction. Both sit on the board but do not have a binding vote.

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Budget authority shifted. The CEO now leads budget development. Board motions with financial implications require the CEO's confirmation before taking effect. The Minister of Education also gained expanded authority to set rules on how boards allocate and spend funding.

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Collective bargaining was centralized. Labour negotiations, previously led by trustee associations, now go through a central provincial body rather than individual boards.

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The Minister gained additional oversight, including approval authority over property and land decisions, and the ability to set policy on board communications and trustee expenses.

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Trustee compensation was capped at $10,000 per year per board, a reduction from previous levels.

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Why This Still Matters

With some authority now shared with provincial oversight, it's fair to ask: does the trustee position still matter?

Yes — for a few reasons.

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Trustees remain the only elected, local voice in how your schools are run. Appointed officials answer to the board and the Ministry; trustees answer to you. Policy direction, program priorities, and board accountability are still trustee responsibilities — and those decisions shape what your children's schools look like day to day.

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Trustees are also still your direct channel for raising concerns — about a specific school, a program gap, or a board decision that affects your community. That access doesn't disappear under the new structure; if anything, it becomes more important as a check on decisions increasingly made above the board level.

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Your vote decides who holds that seat — who sets policy, who you can reach when something needs attention, and who represents your community's interests as the system continues to change.