The Halton Catholic School 91proÊÓƵ of Trustees consists of nine elected Trustees. Trustees are elected every four years during the municipal election:  

3

Burlington
Trustees

1

Halton Hills
Trustee

2

Milton
Trustees

3

Oakville
Trustees

HCDSB Trustees in Burlington, Milton and Oakville represent designated sections (wards) within each municipality. School supporters may contact any trustee, however, it is recommended they contact a trustee who represents their specific municipality.

Our Trustees are accountable to our school community for the decisions made by the 91proÊÓƵ. They are available and accessible to the public to address concerns from the community with respect to 91proÊÓƵ policies. They also act as ambassadors for the system, officiating and speaking at school openings and events, and advocating a wide range of issues regarding Catholic education.

Student Trustees

There are 3 student trustees (1 from Burlington, 1 from North Halton (Halton Hills / Milton) and 1 from Oakville) are appointed annually by the 91proÊÓƵ to represent the interests of students.

2022-2026 91proÊÓƵ of Trustees

On November 15, 2022, the 91proÊÓƵ welcomed a new 91proÊÓƵ of Trustees that will serve our HCDSB community for the 2022-2026 term.

Marvin Duarte
Chair of the 91proÊÓƵ
Bio |

Milton Trustee
Wards 1 & 4

416-559-9327
duartem@hcdsb.org

Emma Murphy
Vice-Chair of the 91proÊÓƵ
Bio |

Milton Trustee
Wards 2 & 3

murphye@hcdsb.org

Brenda Agnew
Bio |

Burlington Trustee
Wards 4 & 5

agnewb@hcdsb.org

Trustee Karabela

Helena Karabela
Bio |

Oakville Trustee
Wards 5 & 6

289-230-1423
karabelah@hcdsb.org

Kirsten Kelly

Kirsten Kelly
Bio |

Burlington Trustee
Wards 1 & 2

kellyk@hcdsb.org

Robert Kennedy 

Robert Kennedy 
Bio |

Oakville Trustee
Wards 1, 2 & 3

kennedyr@hcdsb.org

.

Janet O'Hearn-Czarnota

Janet O’Hearn-Czarnota
Bio |

Halton Hills Trustee

905-630-3581
o’hearn-czarnotaj@hcdsb.org

Trish Powell 

Trish Powell 
Bio |

Burlington Trustee
Wards 3 & 6

powellt@hcdsb.org

Chris Saunders 

Chris Saunders 
Bio |

Oakville Trustee
Wards 4 & 7

saundersc@hcdsb.org

The Role of the 91proÊÓƵ of Trustees

As outlined in the , elected school boards are responsible for: â€‹

  • Promoting student achievement and well-being
  • Promoting a positive school climate and the prevention of bullying
  • Ensuring effective stewardship of the 91proÊÓƵ’s resources
  • Delivering effective and appropriate education programs to its pupils
  • Developing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of policies to promote the 91proÊÓƵ’s goals
  • Developing a multi-year plan aimed at achieving the 91proÊÓƵ’s goals
  • Annually reviewing the multi-year plan with the Director of Education
  • Monitoring and evaluating the performance of the Director of Education

Guidelines for Trustee Communications

The 91proÊÓƵ recognizes that communication is an integral part of the role of its elected Trustees. Effective communication enhances a Trustee’s ability to represent constituents, and helps to encourage public participation, build understanding and consensus in the community, and build support for publicly funded Catholic education.

The Recommended Guidelines for Trustee Communications​ provide some guiding principles and strategies that will support and facilitate appropriate and consistent forms of communication between Trustees and their constituents.

Communications Protocol for Parents and Guardians

The 91proÊÓƵ has established policies and procedures to ensure that parents and guardians will have their specific questions answered and/or concerns addressed. Trustees are always willing to listen to parental concerns, especially those pertaining to 91proÊÓƵ policy.

Trustees will often be contacted by parents with concerns about their child’s education. Parents are encouraged to follow the appropriate communication protocol, as per Policy V-09 Public Concerns Complaints Process.&²Ô²ú²õ±è;​

When parents have a question about their child’s education or an individual school-based concern, they should contact their child’s school. 

  • Initially, the child’s teacher should be approached.
  • After speaking with the child’s teacher, if the matter is not yet resolved, the parent should then contact the School Principal.
  • After speaking with the School Principal, if the matter is not yet resolved, the parent should then contact the appropriate Superintendent of Education.
  • After speaking with the Superintendent of Education, if the matter is not yet resolved, the parent should then contact the Director of Education.

Most issues can be resolved at the school level. Our teachers and school administrators value open communication with parents and the opportunity to address concerns at the school level.

Conflict of Interest Declarations

Trustee Expense Reports