School board head critical of ed minister's proposal to eliminate elected trustees

Thames Valley District School Board trustees sidelined by a provincially-appointed supervisor say getting rid of their elected positions across Ontario would centralize control of education with the province, and make school boards less responsive and accountable to the community.

They were reacting to statements from Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra, who earlier this week said he was open to eliminating elected trustees as the province pursues a review of what he called an "outdated" education governance model.

"If it looks like we can deliver the product better, provide better outcomes for students, better resources for teachers, and give parents certainty, and if that means eliminating trustees, then I'm going to do it," Calandra told CBC News in Ottawa.

The province, he separately told attendees of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, could no longer download responsibility to trustees who lack the authority to tax, or the expertise to undertake the things it's asking of them.

"His comments show what I believe to be his arrogance and really an underlying goal, I think, of the ministry for a long time, which is to eliminate school boards," said Beth Mai, the Thames Valley school board chair and an elected trustee.

Mai accused the province of capitalizing on current crises as part of a broader centralization strategy, and argued the education system has been chronically underfunded across multiple governments at student expense.

"It doesn't matter if the ministry's talking points are that they have (made) historic investments in education. That belies the fact that we have more students than ever before, more schools, a greater number of student needs," she said.

"If the minister really wants to do a better job for students, for parents, they should fund education appropriately."

Trustees have previously told CBC News that the province isn't properly paying for pension and employment insurance contributions, and teacher sick days — millions of dollars the board has to cover that could have gone to the classroom.

Paul Calandra has already appointed supervisors who have taken over five of Ontario's biggest school boards, including the OCDSB. In an interview with CBC’s Kate Porter, he said the way schools are governed is “outdated” and “old” and the model is up for review.

In April, Mai and other trustees were stripped of decision-making power after Calandra appointed lawyer Paul Bonifero as a supervisor, tasking him with cleaning up financial mismanagement.

It followed the release of a government-commissioned investigation prompted by a taxpayer-funded, multi-day retreat to Toronto taken by 18 senior school board administrators, despite the board's worsening financial situation.

Earlier this month, the board tabled its first budget under Bonifero's watch, which showed the deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year had shot up to nearly $32 million. It also projected a $10.5 million deficit for the upcoming year, and some $22 million in unappropriated accumulated deficit.

"Future reductions" are needed to turn the tide, officials have said, along with proceeds from future, unspecified property sales. The budget deficit means a projected loss of 139 full-time equivalent positions, including at least 71 elementary and high school teaching posts.

Thames Valley is among five Ontario school boards that have been appointed provincial supervisors, and the province has tabled legislation making it easier to take over a board without an outside review.

Mai told CBC News she didn't expect trustees would return during this current municipal term, and expressed doubt that they would exist after it, unless the public advocated strongly for them.

If the ministry was serious about improving education, it would provide better funding, and clear guidelines and support to ensure board staff are accountable and transparent with trustees, said Leroy Osbourne, another trustee.

"Our board was running into challenges with transparency, with our staff … We don't have a direct line to the ministry to support us if we have questions or if we're having challenges with administrative staff," he said.

"We're solely dependent on the reports and information and expertise that our staff at the board office provide us, and if that information is absent of accuracies or (has) omissions or whatnot, that impacts our decision-making."

Removing trustees would lead to a loss of local community input in education, and a lack of transparency in board management, Mai said.

Since the province took over, there's been little communication between the school board and community when it comes to decision-making, she added. Trustees have lost their board-supplied email addresses and phone numbers, which the public could contact.

"There are two responsibilities, the responsibility of governing the school board, and the responsibility of being a local advocate," Mai said.

"While it's within the government's purview to appoint a supervisor, I'm at a loss as to how the ministry has also removed any kind of advocacy ability from not just (Thames Valley), but other boards."