‘Hands-off School Boards’: Parents and Teachers Demand Action

A coalition of parents, teachers, and school trustees has united to oppose the Ontario government’s plan to take control of four major school boards in the province.

Context: In late June 2025, the province determined that the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board were engaged in financial mismanagement and appointed supervisors to oversee their operations.

At that time, Education Minister Paul Calandra announced that audits had uncovered significant deficits and depleted reserves within the financial records of these four school boards.

However, the group “Fund Our Schools” labeled the government’s actions a “sham,” accusing them of using claims of mismanagement as a cover for severe funding shortages that the government itself had created. Neethan Shan, Chair of the Toronto District School Board, also criticized the government’s decision, asserting that Board audits had found no wrongdoing. He stated, “There was no reason for the takeover, except they are tired of us, as trustees, advocating for public education and standing up as community champions,” during a news conference outside an east-end high school.

Shan warned that the province is cutting essential programs, such as music, arts, swimming, and outdoor education, to mask the chronic underfunding of these Boards. “Many students cannot access these activities outside of school. We had those opportunities when we were growing up. Why strip them away now?” he asked.

Robert Bauer, from the Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers’ Union, expressed that teachers were excluded from the decision-making process but were left to manage larger class sizes with fewer staff members. “We are not causing this crisis. Yet, we are the ones trying to fix it,” he said.

Critics argue that this move is less about financial mismanagement and more about centralizing control over the education sector, warning that it will diminish local voices and opinions from teachers and parents. They cautioned that if this decision is not immediately revoked, it could be implemented by the remaining 68 school boards in Ontario.

Education expert Sachin Maharaj stated that this action is part of a broader trend toward centralizing control. “I think this has less to do with takeovers or financial matters, and more to do with the province asserting its vision of education on Toronto schools,” he remarked. “This is a pivotal moment. Do we want schools run by the province—or by the people who live in those communities?”