Toronto District School Board trustees appointed Chris Bolton as chairman for a second one-year term Thursday, while handing the No. 2 spot to a relative newcomer.

Bolton, who has served as trustee for Ward 10 (Trinity-Spadina) since 2003, said his re-election signalled that he and the board clearly had the interests of the students in mind.

"I am honoured and humbled that my colleagues on the Toronto District School Board have chosen me to lead them for another year," he said in a release. "I believe that, by giving me a second term as chair, the board is signalling our collective determination to keep the needs of students and their families at the centre of every decision we make."

Bolton, who is an advocate of equity and inclusion, vowed to continue to be a strong advocate for that cause.

"Real learning doesn't happen in isolation," said Bolton. "It happens when schools collaborate with families, communities, government and business. That synergy creates a climate of support and inspiration for young people, and we all benefit from that."

The trustees also appointed Shaun Chen vice-chairman. Chen, who has represented Scarborough-Rouge River since 2006, is a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.