People in Dauphin and the Parkland region who want to help make key decisions about local schools can soon put their name forward for the Mountain View School Division Board of Trustees. The division is now accepting registrations for candidates who hope to win a seat in the October 28, 2026, general school board election.
Registration runs from June 30 through September 22, 2026. Anyone interested must book an appointment with Senior Election Official Kirk Dawson. Appointments can be made by calling (204) 621-7165, and meetings will take place at the Mountain View School Division Administration Office on Highway 5 & 10 West in Dauphin. The office will accept appointment bookings between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm during the registration period.
School board trustees make decisions that hit home for families. They guide things like class sizes, student services, curriculum, and property tax rates. With about 3,000 students in 16 schools spread across seven communities—Dauphin, Roblin, Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Ochre River, Ethelbert, and Winnipegosis—the work touches every corner of the division.
This election comes after a period of significant change for the board. In 2024, trustee Paul Coffey gave a presentation calling residential schools “good” and questioning the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s findings. The fallout included the dismissal of the superintendent, three trustees resigning, and the province stepping in with a governance review and oversight committee. A by-election in October 2024 filled four vacant seats, and the current nine-person board now heads toward a general election with newly restructured ward boundaries. Those changes reflect updated population counts and Bill 16, which extended voting rights to First Nations residents. Notably, one of the trustees who resigned, Floyd Martens, was re-elected in that by-election and currently serves on the board.
Under Manitoba’s rules, anyone hoping to become a trustee must have lived in the division for at least six months before election day and get nomination papers signed by at least 25 voters from their ward. More information about the election and ward boundaries is available on the MVSD election page and the Manitoba School Boards Association website.
