New northeastern Ontario school board candidates in short supply
Many of the school board races in this year's election will not be run, as dozens of trustees across northeastern Ontario are running unopposed.
In the District School Board Ontario Northeast, all of the candidates are acclaimed.
That means Bob Brush is in for a second term representing central Timmins.
"It's excellent,” he told CBC News.
“It keeps us moving forward as a board. It's a reflection that people are pleased with the direction we're moving in."
The nomination deadline for the District School Board Ontario Northeast was extended to today in the hopes that candidates will step forward to be trustee for the Temiskaming and Kirkland Lake area.
Dena Morrison has been an English public school trustee in Sudbury for 16 years, and is assured a seat for the next four-year term.
Half of the Rainbow Board seats are acclaimed this election.
Morrison said thinks the 70 candidates running for mayor and city council are stealing more of the spotlight than usual.
"That has somewhat overshadowed the trustee election process this year,” she said.
But Morrison also said the job of trustee has changed a lot in recent years, as there is less direct control over local education.
"Clearly the role is one of overall governance and being able to understand system-wide issues."
Sudbury French public trustee Claude Giroux is also acclaimed, as are most of his colleagues.
He said some people just don't have a passion for education, but he also wondered how many parents from two-income households have the time to get involved.
"It's not just a matter of interest, but a matter of the times we live in."
