What to know
- Ontario is capping school board trustees at 12 and limiting their pay and expenses under new legislation announced by Education Minister Paul Calandra.
- The Toronto District School Board will be significantly affected, as it currently has 25 trustees and is already under provincial supervision.
- The province is restructuring school board leadership, replacing the Director of Education role with a CEO and adding a new Chief Education Officer focused on student achievement.
- New rules will also impact students, including mandatory written exams in Grades 9–12 and increased weighting of attendance in final grades.
The Ontario government has introduced legislation that, if passed, would cap the number of school board trustees at 12 and limit their salaries and expenses.
Education Minister Paul Calandra announced the changes Tuesday as part of the Putting Student Achievement First Act, which would significantly reshape school board governance across the province.
The Toronto District School Board would be among the most affected, currently operating with 25 trustees and already under provincial supervision.
Calandra said the reforms are intended to reduce “distractions” and refocus boards on student achievement.
The province would also limit trustee discretionary spending and honoraria, and require trustees to pay out of pocket for certain external organization membership fees.
Despite Toronto being the most impacted, Calandra said the role of trustees is “changing dramatically” under the proposed overhaul.
The legislation would also create two new senior roles within school boards. The Director of Education would be renamed Chief Executive Officer (CEO), responsible for financial and operational oversight and required to hold business qualifications.
A new Chief Education Officer would be appointed by the CEO and focus on student achievement, requiring formal teaching qualifications, including certification through the Ontario College of Teachers or equivalent.
Calandra said boards under supervision would remain so “as long as it takes” until they are “back on track,” noting the province has accused several boards of financial mismanagement. Eight boards are currently under supervision.
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The proposed legislation would also introduce changes for students, including mandatory written exams in Grades 9-12 and increased weight for attendance in final grades.
