US EditionOntario announces sweeping changes to school board governance
Bill 101 would create chief executive officers for English boards and cap trustees at 12, while giving the minister more control over budgets and capital projects.
- On Monday, Education Minister Paul Calandra introduced the "Putting Student Achievement First Act," which limits school board trustees to 12 members and caps annual honoraria at $10,000.
- Calandra cited widespread financial mismanagement and "weak governance" as driving these reforms after placing eight school boards under provincial supervision, leaving 36 per cent of Ontario students without elected trustees.
- The legislation creates new chief executive officer and chief education officer roles, transferring budget development and collective bargaining powers from elected trustees to appointed management with required business and educational qualifications.
- Students in Grades 9 through 12 will face mandatory written exams on official exam days, while attendance will account for 15 per cent of final marks for Grades 9 and 10 and 10 per cent for Grades 11 and 12.
- While critics argue trustees are essential for representing parent concerns, the province maintains these reforms ensure stable leadership and focus on student success over local governance preferences.
43 Articles
43 Articles
Province to ‘significantly’ reduce trustees’ power, change how high school students are graded
GUELPH – Elected trustees will still have a place in the Ontario public school system if new legislation is passed, but they’ll have far less power than they do now. That’s according to an April 13 announcement from the Ministry of Education about the proposed Putting Student Achievement First Act, which includes changes to board governance and how students are taught and marked. Minister Paul Calandra said “if passed, the legislation will funda…
Ontario to Limit School Trustee Roles, Cap Numbers
A bill introduced by the Ontario government would restructure school boards and reduce their role in certain areas, citing efforts to address governance and financial management concerns. The Putting Student Achievement First Act, tabled on April 13, would cap trustees’ honorariums at $10,000, remove their ability to amend board budgets, and create two new executive roles: a CEO and a chief education officer (CEdO). The proposed legislation woul…
Francophone school boards in Ontario retain their school councillors, while these elected representatives will lose a lot of power on the English side.
St Thomas Times JournalSudbury StarOntario bill to ‘significantly reduce’ school board trustee powers
TORONTO – After months of concern that Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government was preparing to eliminate school board trustees, it revealed Monday that elected boards will remain. But the government is taking away much of the power trustees currently have and placing it in the hands of a manager with “business qualifications.”
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