Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra is prepared to swiftly exercise new powers granted to him to assume control of school boards, particularly focusing on one board highlighted as dysfunctional in a recent government report. A bill passed on Wednesday enables the minister to more efficiently place school boards under supervision and mandate additional police presence in schools. Despite criticism labeling the bill as undemocratic for sidelining elected trustees, Calandra defended the law as a means to realign boards that veer off course, citing the case of the Near North District School Board.
A government assessment revealed a strained relationship between administration and trustees, a director of education involved in his own performance evaluation, a lack of leadership from the director of education, and trustee actions causing significant delays in building a new Parry Sound school. Calandra issued directives to the board last month, warning that failure to meet the requirements could lead to a takeover.
Calandra has already appointed supervisors to five other mismanaged school boards and intends to broaden the scope for launching investigations or placing boards under supervision beyond solely financial matters to encompass issues of public interest. Additionally, he is contemplating abolishing the role of trustees, with a decision expected before year-end, while ensuring that French and Catholic boards retain their constitutional rights for specific issues.
Opposition parties, teachers’ unions, and some parents have expressed strong opposition to the bill, with concerns raised by the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association about the suppression of local community input in shaping schools. NDP Leader Marit Stiles attributed school and board issues to government decisions, criticizing the authorities for creating the existing challenges instead of resolving them.
The bill also mandates school boards to introduce a school resource officer program if offered by the local police service. Some boards have voluntary programs, with a few discontinuing them in recent years due to student discomfort, intimidation, and community apprehensions. Andrea Vasquez Jimenez from the group Policing-Free Schools cautioned against increasing police presence in schools, emphasizing the ineffectiveness of policing in ensuring student safety and academic success, advocating for relationship-building over enforcement measures.