York goes to polls to replace trustee

Georgina residents vote Friday to fill seat vacated by Nancy Elgie, ousted amid racism scandal

For the first time in nearly two decades, the residents of Georgina will have a new representative at the table at the York Region District School Board.

The polls will open in the small town in York Region Friday morning for a byelection to fill the seat held for 17 years by former trustee Nancy Elgie.

Elgie resigned in February following months of controversy over her use of the word n----- to refer to a Black parent after a school board meeting in November. She later apologized and stepped down.

The incident came during a turbulent year for the school board, grappling with anti-Black racism, Islamophobia and a culture of fear within the board.

This year, five candidates entered the race in hopes of helping the board move toward being more inclusive, more community focused and more transparent.

Parent Robin Mae Legault, who has two children and four stepchildren, had previously been outspoken about the lack of support she received from Elgie; she says that interaction compelled her to run.

“I want to genuinely help students and their parents find the help they are looking for,” she said. “I want to establish a connection with my community where their voices are heard.”

Candidate Rick Boudreau, an automotive professional, believes respect is important moving forward.

“All students regardless of ethnicity or religion have the right to be educated to the limits of their talents in our public school system. And the rule of respect should dominate every conversation with parents, students, teachers and trustees,” Boudreau said.

Cynthia Cordova, a mother of two children in the district who works in the adult and youth shelter system, ran in the 2014 election against Elgie.

She says the “YRDSB has to make institutional changes that knit the principles of fairness and equity into the fabric of the organization.”

Her campaign slogan is, “putting students first,” and she says she will continue to do that by pushing for board meetings to be televised, investing in services for special needs and for parents to be consulted in the hiring of a new director.

In 2014, trustees hired the board’s former director in a process that has been widely criticized. J. Philip Parappally, who was dismissed in April, was given an unprecedented10-year contract and a job for life by the trustees.

Candidate Justin Porter believes transparency is crucial for the York board.

“The entire organization must now operate with transparency and integrity through to the highest levels,” he said.

The board’s “problems will not all disappear overnight,” added Porter, who has four young children, two of whom have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The board is currently finalizing its policy for a transparent recruitment and appraisal process for the new director.

The byelection is expected to cost the board $162,534, according to estimates from the town.

Since 1991, the board has filled vacancies five times through the appointment process. But this time around, the board decided to proceed with a byelection to give residents a voice.

“The byelection ensures the residents of Georgina are represented in a manner that honours their voice and democratic participation,” board chair Loralea Carruthers said.

Candidate Megan Houston, who has three children, believes “the YRDSB has an opportunity to become a leader in inclusive and innovative education, (and) I want to be a part of that change.”

A three-month probe launched by the education ministry led to findings released in April that slammed the board for a “lack of leadership,” cultivating mistrust and an environment where equity and transparency were shunned.

Since then, the board has been quickly working to meet 22 directives set out by the province, including the creation of a Human Rights Office and hiring an integrity commissioner.