2026 School Trustee Elections

In October 2026, communities across British Columbia will elect school trustees to their local boards of education.

School trustees are locally elected representatives who help shape public education in their communities. They provide governance and oversight for their school district by setting direction, establishing policies, overseeing budgets, and supporting student success. 

The next General Local Election for school trustees of the Board of Education of School District No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) will be held on October 17, 2026. School trustees are elected for a four-year term and elections occur at the same time as the municipal elections.     

Explore this page to learn more about key election information and the 2026 School Board Trustee candidates.

Election Notices

2026 School Board Trustee Candidates

A list of candidates for Trustee Electoral Area 1 - City of Kamloops is available at kamloops.ca/election. Below are the candidates for Areas 2-5:

Name on Ballot

Mailing Address

School District No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) Electoral Area

Lee Onslow

Box 161
 838 Main Street
 Blue River, BC
 V0E 1J0

Area 2 – North Thompson, being Electoral Areas A and B of Thompson-Nicola Regional District as defined in the British Columbia Gazette dated December 6, 1984 
 (including the communities of Clearwater, Blue River, Vavenby, and Avola)

Shelley Sim

336 Schmidt Road
 Clearwater, BC 
 V0E 1N2

Area 2 – North Thompson, being Electoral Areas A and B of Thompson-Nicola Regional District as defined in the British Columbia Gazette dated December 6, 1984 
 (including the communities of Clearwater, Blue River, Vavenby, and Avola)

Bronwen Bird

261 Oriole Way
 Barriere, BC
 V0E 1E0

Area 3 – Barriere-Little Fort, being Electoral Area O of Thompson-Nicola Regional District as defined in the British Columbia Gazette dated December 6, 1984 
 (including the communities of Barriere, Little Fort, Louis Creek, Chu Chua, and Darfield)

Diane Jules

Box 342
 Chase, BC
 V0E 1M0

Area 4 – Chase, being Electoral Areas L and P of Thompson-Nicola Regional District as defined in the British Columbia Gazette dated December 6, 1984 
 (including the communities of Sun Rivers, Heffley Creek, Rayleigh, Chase and Sun Peaks)

Cara McKelvey

6507 Buie Street
 Savona, BC
 V0K 2J0

Area 5 – Logan Lake, being Electoral Area J of Thompson-Nicola Regional District as defined in the British Columbia Gazette dated February 7, 1991 
 (including the communities of Savona, Lac Le Jeune, Tobiano, Cherry Creek, Paska Lake, and the District of Logan Lake)

Marie McGivern

8 Jade Court
 Logan Lake, BC
 V0K 1W0

Area 5 – Logan Lake, being Electoral Area J of Thompson-Nicola Regional District as defined in the British Columbia Gazette dated February 7, 1991 
 (including the communities of Savona, Lac Le Jeune, Tobiano, Cherry Creek, Paska Lake, and the District of Logan Lake)


Voting Information

Advance voting information for Area 1 - City of Kamloops can be found here. For more information, please visit kamloops.ca/election.

Voting information for Areas 2-5, including general and advance voting dates, times, and locations, will be shared shortly. 

Nomination and Candidate Information Package

The nomination period has now closed. 

Candidate Information and Nomination Packages for Trustee Electoral Area 1 - City of Kamloops are available at kamloops.ca/election

Candidate Information and Nomination Packages for Trustee Electoral Areas 2-5 - Thompson-Nicola Regional District are available digitally here.

Trustee Election Information Session Presentation

School Trustee Information Session Presentation (In-Person & Online) - June 4 & 9, 2026

Trustee Role & Responsibilities 

From the B.C. School Trustees Association (BCSTA):  

As locally elected representatives, trustees understand their respective communities’ particular strengths, challenges, and demands best. 

Trustees engage their communities in building and maintaining a school system that reflects local priorities, values, and strategic goals. School trustees listen to their communities, guide the work of their school district, hire the superintendent, and set plans, policies, and the annual budget. 

Reflecting the strength of local representation, trustees, as part of the school board, report back to their communities on how students are doing. 

The Role of a school trustee includes: 

  • Setting Strategic Direction  
  • Governing Finances Responsibly 
  • Hiring and Supporting Leadership 
  • Improving Student Achievement  
  • Championing Your Community  
  • Making Collective Decisions  

Learn more about trustee elections and the role of a trustee at bcsta.org.

About School District No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson)

Our Mission: Supporting learning opportunities and environments which inspire students to thrive.

Our Vision: Fostering educated and resilient citizens empowered to contribute to a diverse, inclusive, caring, and sustainable society.

Our Values: Connections/Relationships, Equity, Well-being, Sustainability

Students: SD73 provides public education to over 16,000 students, 20% of whom are of Indigenous Ancestry, in Kamloops and many rural communities, including Chase, Barriere, Logan Lake, Pinantan Lake, Sun Peaks, Heffley Creek, Westwold, Blue River, Vavenby, Savona and Clearwater.  

Geographic Area & Transportation: Our district covers more than 27,000 kilometres and buses about 4,300 students more than 9,300 kilometres every day.  

Schools: SD73 has 49 schools including 35 elementary schools, 10 secondary schools, one Kindergarten–Grade 12 school, two alternate education programs, and one distance education school (Kamloops Open Online Learning). In Fall 2026, SD73 will open the district's newest school in over two decades, Sníne Elementary.  

Staff: We employ 2,650 people and have an annual budget of $255.9 million. 

Kamloops-Thompson Key Policies & Bylaws

Explore the full Kamloops-Thompson Board of Education Policy Manual here.

Kamloops-Thompson Trustee Positions 

The Board of Education of School District No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) is comprised of 9 trustees representing the following areas: 

  • 5 trustees from Trustee Electoral Area 1 – Kamloops, being the City of Kamloops; and, 
  • 1 trustee for each of the following areas of the Thompson Nicola Regional District:
  • Trustee Electoral Area 2 – North Thompson, including areas “A” Wells Gray Country and “B” Thompson Headwaters, including the District of Clearwater 
  • Trustee Electoral Area 3 – Barriere/Little Fort, including area “O” Lower North Thompson, including the District of Barriere 
  • Trustee Electoral Area 4 – Chase, including areas “L” and “P” Rivers and the Peaks, including Sun Rivers, the Village of Chase and the Mountain Resort Municipality of Sun Peaks 
  • Trustee Electoral Area 5 – Logan Lake, including area “J” Copper Desert Country, including the District of Logan Lake 

A map of the Trustee Electoral Areas within School District No. 73 (Kamloops-Thompson) can be found here. 

Qualifications for Office

A person is qualified to be nominated, elected, and to hold office as a school trustee if they meet the following criteria:

  • Canadian citizen 
  • 18 years of age or older on general voting day October 17, 2026 
  • Resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before the day nomination papers are filed 
  • Not disqualified under the School Act or any other enactment from being nominated for, being elected to or holding office as a trustee, or be otherwise disqualified by law 
Key 2026 Elections Dates 2026
  • Election Period: January 1, 2026 – September 18, 2026  
  • Pre Campaign Period: July 20 – September 18, 2026  
  • Nomination Period (BC-wide): September 1, 2026 – September 11, 2026  
  • Declaration of Candidates: September 11, 2026  
  • Challenge of Nomination Deadline: September 15, 2026  
  • Candidate Withdrawal Deadline: September 18, 2026  
  • Candidate Endorsement Withdrawal Deadline: September 18, 2026  
  • Campaign Period: September 19, 2026 – October 17, 2026  
  • General Voting Day: October 17, 2026  
  • Disclosure Statement Filing Deadline: January 15, 2027  
  • Late filing deadline for disclosure statements (with $500 fee): February 16, 2027
Campaign Expense Limits

All candidates have expense limits that apply during the campaign period. Explore the 2026 Campaign Expense Limits here. 

  • City of Kamloops (Trustee Election Area 1): $41,905.39
  • North Thompson, including Clearwater (Trustee Election Area 2): $6,161.89
  • Barriere/Little Fort (Trustee Election Area 3): $6,161.89
  • Chase/Sun Rivers/Municipality of Sun Peaks (Trustee Election Area 4): $10,065.82
  • Logan Lake (Trustee Election Area 5): $6,161.89
For further information on campaign expense limits and third-party advertising limits, please contact Elections BC: 
Trustee Remuneration

As per Board Policy 7 – Board Operations:

13.1  In accordance with the provisions of the School Act, trustees shall receive remuneration paid on a monthly basis, the amount of which shall be set by Board resolution. Additional amounts, also set by Board resolution, shall be paid to the Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. 

13.2  Trustees shall receive a technology allowance, included in their remuneration in September, the amount of which shall be reviewed annually and set by Board resolution. 

As of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the base remuneration rates are: 

  • Board Chair: $33,634 per year 
  • Vice-Chair: $30,429 per year 
  • Trustee: $28,503 per year 

As of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the base technology allowance is $1,026 per year.  

Annually on July 1, the remuneration paid to trustees, the Chair, and Vice-Chair are adjusted based on increases or decreases to the BC Consumer Price Index.

Monthly Board and Committee Meeting Schedule 

The Board of Education meets for In-Camera and Public Board meetings once a month (except July) on Mondays with In-Camera (Closed) meetings starting at 5:30 pm and Public meeting starting at 7:00 pm.

In 2026-2027, the Board will also meet as a Committee of the Whole monthly between September to June. Committee of the Whole meetings will occur on Wednesdays starting at 5:30 pm. Committee of the Whole meeting agendas and recordings will be made available to the public. 

You can view the draft schedule of 2026-2027 Committee of the Whole and Board meeting here (subject to change – pending Board approval on August 24, 2026).

Trustees are also part of Contractual, Select, and External Committees that meet at various times throughout the school year. Read more about the Board’s 2025-2026 committee structure here. TH_Trustee_Meeting_Flow_Graphic.jpg

Important Links & Resources

SD73 Resources:  

Frequently Asked Questions

If you would like further information on the election process, please contact:  

Kim Morris, Secretary-Treasurer 

Phone: 250-214-5209 

Email: Elections2026@exc.sd73.bc.ca