School boards see turnover as veteran trustees depart

WATERLOO REGION — There will be at least five new faces among 20 trustees on the region’s two English school boards after the Oct. 22 municipal election.

One of the newcomers will be Karen Meissner, acclaimed to the public school board. She lives in Elmira, owns a photography business and has three children in school. Meissner, 37, will represent the townships of Wellesley and Woolwich.

“I’m very excited to step into that ring,” she said.

Meissner wants to see more children walk or cycle to school. She knows this is easier to say than achieve, “but I don’t think just because it’s hard, we should just push it aside.”

She also wants to help trustees move past infighting that has plagued the Waterloo Region District School Board.

Three incumbents are leaving the public school board. Scott McMillan and Ted Martin are seeking election to municipal office in Woolwich and in Kitchener, respectively. Colin Harrington is stepping down in Cambridge and North Dumfries.

Two incumbents are leaving the Catholic board. Joyce Anderson is stepping down in Kitchener/Wilmot. Amy Fee left her Kitchener/Wilmot seat to be elected to the Ontario legislature in June. Her appointed replacement, Wayne Buchholtz, is not running.

While these departures open the field, newcomers will face a challenge beating incumbents seeking re-election, partly due to name recognition.

Incumbents are running for re-election in 15 of the 20 seats available at public and Catholic boards, which together educate 86,200 children.

Two incumbents, trustees Melanie Van Alphen and Jeanne Gravelle, are acclaimed to another term at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Currently homemakers, they represent Waterloo and the townships of Wellesley and Woolwich.

Van Alphen, 38, has two children in school and another child heading there in a year. She’s pledging to keep the board communicating with parents.

Gravelle, 43, stresses her support for children with special needs. She’s a mother of three including one child with autism. Her message to parents of children with special needs is that “we value their children.”

This election will see 45 candidates contest 22 trustee seats on English and French school boards. The 2014 election saw 49 candidates.

Incumbent trustee Dorothée Petits-Pas is acclaimed to the French Catholic school board. Two candidates are contesting a single seat on the French public board.

Trustees use limited powers to help direct local schools. They don’t tax but they do approve budgets exceeding $1.1 billion. They are not in charge of the curriculum or daily operations. Ontario has asked them to advocate for student achievement and well-being, and to speak for parents.

You can find a full list of school board candidates at therecord.com.