Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra, is indicating swift action in utilizing recently acquired powers to assume control over school boards, with a particular focus on one board flagged as dysfunctional in a government report. A new bill, which passed its final reading on Wednesday, empowers the minister to easily place school boards under supervision and mandate the presence of police officers in more schools.
Critics have raised concerns over the bill’s perceived lack of democratic principles, as government oversight would remove the elected trustees’ roles. However, Calandra defended the legislation, stating that it allows him to steer boards back on course when they veer off track, citing the case of the Near North District School Board.
An official review revealed a strained relationship between the board’s administration and trustees, a director of education involved in rating his own performance, a lack of leadership from the director of education, and trustee actions causing significant delays in a school construction project in Parry Sound.
Calandra issued directives to the board recently, emphasizing that failure to meet these requirements would result in the minister assuming control. He underscored the urgency by highlighting students being educated in a partially demolished high school due to the board’s decisions.
The Near North board did not respond to requests for comment, but it has previously stated its commitment to addressing the directives. Calandra has already appointed supervisors to five other school boards due to mismanagement, and the bill broadens the scope for investigations and supervision beyond financial matters to include issues of public interest.
Considering the possibility of eliminating trustees’ roles, Calandra aims to make a decision by year-end. He clarified that French and Catholic boards would retain their constitutional rights, granting trustees authority on French and Catholic-specific matters.
Opposition parties, teachers’ unions, and some parents have voiced strong opposition to the bill. The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association emphasized the importance of trustees in ensuring community input in school matters and advocated for transparent governance transitions.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles attributed school and board issues to government decisions, criticizing the government for creating the current challenges. Stiles emphasized the need for proper school funding rather than the proposed measures.
The bill also mandates school boards to implement a school resource officer program where available, though some boards had voluntarily ended such programs due to student discomfort and community concerns. Andrea Vasquez Jimenez from Policing-Free Schools condemned the increased police presence in schools, advocating for alternative safety measures and relationship-building approaches.