School board trustee elections
Find information about trustee elections for school boards and candidates.
Information for candidates
Individuals interested in running for a school board trustee position are encouraged to visit their local municipal website or the website of their district school board for detailed information on eligibility requirements, nomination procedures, and key dates.
To find out more on running as a candidate in Ontario municipal council or school board elections, read the 2026 candidate's guide.
Police record checks
Starting in the 2026–2027 school year, school board trustees must provide a police record check. If you have never provided your school board with a police record check, you must do so by November 1, 2026.
If you have not provided a police record check to your school board within the last 5 years, you must provide a new one.
Contact your school board for information about requirements, timelines and next steps.
If you are newly elected to the role of trustee after the October 26, 2026 election, your school board will tell you whether you can start serving while your police record check is underway.
Student trustees under the age of 18, you do not need a police record check.
Learn more about police record checks.
Read Ontario Regulation 521/01: Collection of Personal Information.
School board associations
There are associations for each of Ontario’s 4 school boards:
- Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association (OCSTA)
- Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA)
- Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l'Ontario
- Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques
Information for school boards
Get to know your municipality.
Trustee determination and distribution
Before each regular election, the board of trustees of each district school board must distribute the positions of the members to be elected across the board's area of jurisdiction. The steps are set out in O. Reg. 412/00: Elections to and Representation on District School Boards.
This process plays an important role in ensuring that representation on school boards is democratic and fair. It also allows trustee candidates to identify and select an electoral ward in which to run.
Contact us
Education Equity and Governance Secretariat
EducationEquityandGovernanceSecretariat@ontario.ca
315 Front Street West, 12th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 0B8