Schomberg resident Elizabeth Crowe retires after 32 years of public service as Trustee and Chair of the York Catholic District School Board

July 29, 2026 · 0 Comments

By Jim Stewart

While students are enjoying the summer, one significant trustee and chair in York Region will not be returning to the school system in September.
Elizabeth Crowe served with distinction as Chair of the York Catholic District School Board for over 18 years, including a continuous span from December 1998 to November 2015, followed by an additional term from December 2017 to November 2018 and another term starting in November 2023 which concluded with her retirement in 2026.
The long-time resident of Schomberg served the communities of Aurora, King, and Whitchurch-Stouffville as the trustee starting with her election in 1994 and brought veteran leadership to the School Board for parts of four decades.
During our chat in the air-conditioned comfort of Tim Hortons in Schomberg on one of the hottest days of 2026, Crowe recounted the factors that induced her to consider retirement: “I decided late last summer when the Minister of Education was talking about eliminating trustees that it was time to retire. I spent most of the fall getting to as many school events as possible at our schools in King, Aurora, and Stouffville – to concerts, parent meetings, tournaments, social events. I wanted to be in the schools and see the kids. When we were taken over by the government in mid-March, I made the decision to retire. It was very emotional for me. I went to my last Mass at Holy Name and I’ve been busy encouraging people all summer to run for trustee and the chair position in the fall. There hasn’t been much interest yet.”
This gap in succession is worrisome for the long-serving chair. As we sipped our Tims confections, Crowe made an open appeal for local citizens to run for school leadership positions in the 2026 Municipal Election: “I want somebody to run who’s passionate about our students and schools. The time commitment is not as much as people think. It’s important work that needs to be done.”
As Crowe reflected on her 32 years of service to the YCDSB, she focused on her vocation’s most satisfying elements: “One of the most satisfying things was starting Programs. We brought in Phys Ed and Music specialists to all our elementary schools. We brought in French Immersion – first at the elementary level and later at the secondary level. Implementing International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Arts-centred schools, and High Performance Athlete programs were very important – more and more students and parents wanted these specialized programs. There was so little interest in these programs in the ‘90s when I was first elected, but they became very sought after and important programs for so many of our high schools. It’s satisfying to meet such a demand.
For example, there are over 250 students in the AP program at St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School and there’s a waiting list to get into the school. It’s been very successful. Bringing this variety of programming to the students across the board was an achievement.”
As a significant influence at the YCDSB since 1994, the amiable Chair discussed the significant challenges she encountered at the helm of one of the biggest boards in Ontario: “It was a huge challenge to look after and care for our Special Needs students – and try to maintain an excellent level of service for our Special Needs kids despite continual shortages of funding by the government. When I started in the mid-’90s, we also had a big deficit and a terrible relationship with our unions which included three strikes in the decade – the Provincial Walkout being the longest one. I remained active in bargaining every year with OECTA and CUPE. It was important to hear their concerns as the chair. These were huge challenges to overcome in the 1990s and we dealt with a deficit again in 2012. It’s always difficult to make cuts caused by declining enrolment. Nobody wants to close schools but when enrolment drops to 120, it becomes a problem. When these schools get too small, what do you do when you have ten students in the school’s Grade 8 classroom? We’ve had schools in Aurora drop from 800 to 250 and we’re asking ‘Where are these kids going?’”
Crowe’s connection to the kids across the YCDSB was evident in her anecdotes and she shared one of her most magical moments regarding those interactions: “One of my highlights was meeting Andre De Grasse at the York Region Track and Field Championships at York University. He was there to give out the medals at the sprint events to both the boys and girls champions. He’s one of our distinguished graduates and he comes back every year. Andre has so many programs in place to help youth achieve their dreams. I follow him all the time when he’s competing. I cried when I watched the Canadian Men’s relay team win the 4 x 100 metre race at the Paris Olympics. It was not expected and it made them winning the race even more enjoyable.”
Equally enjoyable for Crowe is living in Schomberg: “We bought Margaret Black’s house in 1988. All the kids love coming back. It’s a great place to raise children. We love life in Schomberg. We enjoy Main Street Christmas, The Fair, visiting farms, and enjoying the restaurants. It still feels like a small town and everyone is so welcoming and friendly. My husband, Stephen, walks our dog every day around The Loop through downtown and he goes to The Grackle and we find out what’s happening.”
The retired chair and the 38-year resident also noted the positive growth that has taken place in Schomberg: “Over the years, there have been more commercial opportunities and it’s been great to see so many stores and restaurants doing so well on Main Street. When McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, and A&W located here, it provided part-time job opportunities for so many kids. One of my daughters worked at Tim Hortons. It’s also been nice to see the variety of stores that have opened for business here so we don’t have to go to other towns.”
Crowe has to travel to other towns to bond with her children who live in Nova Scotia, England, and Tennessee, but the gift of time that comes along with retirement will allow for more travel opportunities to see them in Halifax, London, and Knoxville, respectively: “Retirement is going to make seeing the kids much easier. My son has four children and he’s in the Air Force. He flies helicopter out of CFB Shearwater. My oldest daughter has a three-year-old and just bought a place north of London where she works in e-commerce in England. My youngest daughter works for the Department of International Agriculture in Knoxville, Tennessee. We travelled to a destination wedding as a family recently.”
Settling into retirement life has been embraced by the former Structural Engineer and Crowe has time to put into her favorite hobbies: “I’m looking forward to gardening. I’m an avid gardener and I also enjoy painting – especially with acrylics.”
Visiting her kids and grandkids and enjoying life in Schomberg seems like a nice retirement plan and a natural extension of her professional life during her 32-year career as trustee and chair of the York Catholic School Board.
She closed off our conversation by extolling the virtues of the hard-working teachers and students of the Board she served from 1994-2026: “We’re one of the top four boards in Ontario regarding EQAO scores. That’s the result of our teachers addressing the needs of every child. It’s great student achievement. We set up the resources for our teachers and students, but the hard work was done in the classroom to achieve those kinds of results. It’s important work.”