The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) will appoint two new trustees to fill recent vacancies, opening the door for interested residents of Windsor-Essex to serve on the board.
The decision followed a debate at Tuesday night’s meeting, where trustees considered several options for replacing Ron LeClair (LaSalle–Amherstburg), who resigned last month, and Nancy Armstrong (Leamington–Pelee Island), whose resignation was formally accepted at the meeting.
Trustees ultimately endorsed a process that will see the board issue a public call for applications. Candidates will be interviewed at a special meeting on December 15, with appointments to be finalized the following day during the regular board meeting.
With the next municipal and school board elections scheduled for October 26, 2026, the new appointees will serve less than one year.
Trustees selected this approach over a proposal to offer the positions to the second-place finishers from the 2022 election, as well as an alternative process with a longer timeline. The decision was heavily debated with trustees speaking over one another before a short recess was called.
The future of elected school trustees remains uncertain, however. Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra has said that he looking at the elimination of trustees to end division in the school boards and make it easier for parents to access the system.
A decision by the Minister is expected by the end of the year.