Somerset Ward's OCDSB Zone 10 trustee race centres on inclusion and academic focus
Keelin Pringnitz and Shannon Boschy are running for Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee in Zone 10, with sharply different views on how schools should approach LGBTQ+ students and what the board's priorities should be.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on kitchissippi.com.
Two candidates running for Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee in Zone 10, which covers Somerset Ward, disagree sharply on how schools should handle transgender and LGBTQ+ students and what the board should focus on. The Kitchissippi Times published profiles of both on October 19.
Keelin Pringnitz told the outlet she wants to bring a more collaborative approach back to the board while protecting special education, gifted programming, and French immersion. She said concerns about divisions on the previous board helped convince her to run. She has a PhD in inclusivity in sport and supports the board's current approach, which allows students to decide what information about their gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation is shared, including with parents, unless disclosure is required by law.
"I believe in inclusivity," Pringnitz told the Kitchissippi Times. "I support trans students. I support gay students." She said debates over gender identity have become too prominent in school board politics compared to other issues, and that the board should focus on working closely with families to protect programs.
Shannon Boschy is a financial professional and is making his second run for an OCDSB seat. He ran for trustee in Zone 6 in 2022 under the slogan "Education not Indoctrination," finishing third with 9.16 per cent of the vote, the Kitchissippi Times reported. He chose to run in Zone 10 this time, the outlet said, despite the area's reputation as one of Ottawa's more progressive.
Boschy told the Kitchissippi Times he opposes gender-affirming health care in schools and argues schools should not keep a student's gender identity confidential from their parents. He said the board has become too focused on social justice and identity issues at the expense of academics, discipline, and financial management. He wants the board's next strategic plan to give greater emphasis to academic achievement. He also criticized the decision to end the former School Resource Officer program.
Somerset Ward voters choosing an OCDSB trustee can read about Keelin Pringnitz and Shannon Boschy on voche.me. Trustees are elected on October 26, 2026.
Questions this story answers
Who is running for OCDSB Zone 10 trustee in Somerset Ward?
Two candidates are on the ballot: Keelin Pringnitz and Shannon Boschy. Zone 10 covers Somerset Ward in Ottawa. Both are running for a seat on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, which is Ottawa's largest English public school board. Ottawa's municipal voting day, when trustees are also elected, is October 26, 2026.
What are Keelin Pringnitz's main campaign goals?
Pringnitz told the Kitchissippi Times she wants to bring a more collaborative approach back to the school board and protect existing programs including special education, gifted programming, and French immersion. She said her interest in politics and concerns about divisions on the previous board helped convince her to run. She supports the OCDSB's existing approach to inclusion for transgender and LGBTQ+ students and has a PhD in inclusivity in sport.
What are Shannon Boschy's main campaign goals?
Boschy told the Kitchissippi Times he wants the board's next strategic plan to place greater emphasis on academic achievement, discipline, and financial management. He argues the board has become too focused on social justice and identity issues at the expense of academics. He also criticized the decision to end the former School Resource Officer program. Boschy is a financial professional and is making his second run for OCDSB trustee. He said the election offers voters a choice about the board's direction.
Where do the two candidates disagree on LGBTQ+ student policies?
Pringnitz told the Kitchissippi Times she supports trans students and gay students, and she believes debates over gender identity have become too dominant in school board politics compared to other issues. She supports the board's current approach, which allows students to decide what information about their gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation is shared, including with parents, unless disclosure is required by law. Boschy told the outlet he opposes gender-affirming health care in schools and argues schools should not be able to keep a student's gender identity confidential from their parents.
Has Shannon Boschy run before?
Yes. Boschy ran for OCDSB trustee in Zone 6 in 2022 under the slogan 'Education not Indoctrination', campaigning on opposition to what he called gender ideology, the Kitchissippi Times reported. He finished third in that race with 9.16 per cent of the vote. He chose to run in Zone 10 this year despite its reputation as one of Ottawa's more progressive areas, the outlet reported.
Why does Pringnitz say school programs need protecting?
Pringnitz told the Kitchissippi Times that the OCDSB's financial situation has meant cuts to programs over the years, and that the board has not been funded well enough to maintain them at the level families expect. She argued the board should name provincial underfunding as the core problem and work with families more closely to protect special education, gifted programming, and French immersion. She said the situation requires honesty about what is actually driving cuts.
When is Ottawa's school trustee election?
Trustees for all four Ottawa school boards, including the OCDSB, are elected on the same day as the mayor and city councillors: October 26, 2026. Zone 10 voters in Somerset Ward choose between Keelin Pringnitz and Shannon Boschy for the OCDSB seat. You can read about both candidates at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates on voche.me.
What is the source for this reporting?
The Kitchissippi Times published its profile of both Zone 10 candidates on October 19, 2026. The Kitchissippi Times is a community newspaper covering Kitchissippi ward and nearby Ottawa neighbourhoods. The Zone 10 seat covers Somerset Ward, which is adjacent to Kitchissippi.
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