School board trustees have been elected on P.E.I for the first time in over a decade.

Islanders cast their votes for the Public Schools Branch school board trustees through mail-in ballots, which were counted on Thursday by Elections P.E.I.

Elected trustees for the Public School Branch are:

• Zone 1: Beverley Ann Boulter by acclamation

• Zone 2: Beckie Keezer

• Zone 3: Rachel McCarthy

• Zone 4: Jaclyn Massey

• Zone 5: Amanda Blakeney and Heather Mullen

• Zone 6: Wade Czank

• Zone 7: Patty van Diepen

Elected trustees for the la Commission scolaire de langue française

• Zone 1: Francine Bernard and Bonnie Gallant

• Zone 2: Tammy Shields by acclamation

• Zone 3: Gilles Benoit by acclamation

• Zone 4: Stéphane Blanchard by acclamation

• Zone 5: Sarah Bernath and Bryan Burt by acclamation

• Zone 6: Lynne Faubert by acclamation

Trustees are responsible for providing financial oversight for school board operations, pointing out needs in the organization, creating policies and liaising with education stakeholders, according to the Government of Prince Edward Island website.

They are required to attend meetings of the members of the education authority and file an annual report to the minister of education.

The last election of school board trustees for the Public Schools Branch was in 2008.

The eastern and western boards were merged in 2012, and the P.E.I. Public Schools Branch has been governed by various appointees ever since.

The P.E.I. Home and School Association has been lobbying for a return to elected trustees for years.

Education Minister Natalie Jameson tabled legislation to amend the Education Act earlier this year, which prompted the election.