Ontario’s Education Minister, Paul Calandra, is indicating swift action utilizing recently acquired powers to assume control of school boards, with a specific focus on a board highlighted as dysfunctional in a government report. The passed bill streamlines the process for the minister to supervise school boards and mandates more boards to have police officers present on school premises. While critics denounce the bill as undermining democracy by sidelining elected trustees, Calandra defends the law as a mechanism to intervene when boards veer off course, as exemplified by the Near North District School Board.
A government assessment revealed a strained relationship between board administration and trustees, conflicts of interest involving the director of education in self-assessment, lack of effective leadership from the director of education, and trustee actions causing significant delays in building a new school in Parry Sound. Calandra issued directives to the board recently, warning that failure to meet these requirements would prompt direct intervention.
Calandra has already appointed supervisors to five other boards for mismanagement issues, with the bill broadening the grounds for investigations or supervision beyond financial matters to include broader public concerns. Additionally, the minister is contemplating the removal of trustees’ roles, with a decision expected by year-end, though French and Catholic boards will retain their distinct governance rights.
Opposition parties, teachers’ unions, and some parents have strongly criticized the bill, with concerns raised about silencing local voices that trustees represent. NDP Leader Marit Stiles attributes school and board issues to governmental decisions, accusing the authorities of creating the current problems rather than offering solutions.
The bill also mandates school boards to implement a school resource officer program if offered by the local police service. While some boards have voluntary programs, others had discontinued them due to student discomfort and community apprehensions. Andrea Vasquez Jimenez from Policing-Free Schools asserts that increasing police presence in schools is not the right approach for ensuring safety and academic success, emphasizing the need for relationship-building over enforcement tactics.
