The Ontario government is taking over one school board and threatening to take over at least three more after what it describes as poor judgment calls and ongoing fiscal concerns.
The Thames Valley District School Board will be overseen by a government-appointed supervisor, and the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board will have to submit an implementation plan "to meet the ministry’s fiscal and governance expectations," the Ford government said in a news release.
Ontario is also launching investigations to recommend by May 30 whether the ministry should take over the Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
About one quarter of all students in Ontario's education system attend schools in the five boards.
Education Minister Paul Calandra said he’ll take further action “if the situation at these school boards does not improve."
“Not to sound like a big tough guy, but to be very clear, the resources that we provide — we provide a record level of funding. We expect that to be made available to teachers so that they can give our students the ultimate ability to succeed,” Calandra told reporters on Wednesday.
“And if they don't do that, I'm prepared to do whatever I need to do to ensure that resources go to the school, or to the teachers and to the students, so that parents have confidence in their school.”
Officials at the Thames Valley District School Board reportedly used board funds for a $38,000 stay at the Toronto Blue Jays stadium hotel during a three-day retreat in Toronto in August 2024.
"The board has been running a significant deficit for a number of years and has had to cut back on services to students, making this expenditure more concerning," the government added.
The Ford government then appointed consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to investigate the board’s finances. The report revealed non-compliance with executive compensation laws and internal compensation policies. The report also revealed "indications of potential financial mismanagement," and recommended the ministry take over control of the board, the government said in a backgrounder.
The government has not yet released the full PWC audit, which it says “will be available in the near future.”
Four trustees with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board racked up almost $190,000 in expenses, including $63,000 in legal fees, after a trip to Italy in July 2024 to buy art.
A third-party audit "found mismanagement of public funds, a disregard for transparent decision-making and non-compliance with their own procurement policy," the government said.
Calandra said he'll expect a report by May 23 on how the board will address the review's 18 recommendations, as well as four more from the minister himself:
- "repay the amounts owing for trustee travel expenses within 30 days;
- recoup the total funds spent on the art and artifacts purchased in Italy within 30 days;
- attest to conduct its business only in meetings which are compliant with regulations and legislation;
- and submit a learning plan for trustees’ professional development highlighting governance responsibilities."
The government raised concerns about deficits at the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
It hired Deloitte to audit the Toronto Catholic District School Board after it forecasted a deficit in August 2024. The audit "revealed that the board could have done more to avoid their deteriorated financial position," the government said in a backgrounder. It hasn't been released either.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board has reported in-year deficits since 2021-22, and its reserves are gone, the government said.
The government has told the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to submit a "financial recovery plan” to address its deficits, senior staffing costs and “underspending” on repairs.
It has not produced such a plan, "resulting in significant financial concerns over the school board’s financial health and their ability to address their structural deficit," the government said.
“We know that it isn't just about one or two bad decisions. It points to a broader problem, a pattern of mismanagement and misplaced priorities,” Calandra said.
It added in a backgrounder that a third-party report on TDSB students attending a Grassy Narrows rally where pro-Palestinian protests also took place demonstrated “a lack of judgment and poor planning for student emotional safety.”
The report, written by former University of Guelph Human Rights and Equity Office director Patrick Case, found that teachers should be more careful about field trips, but that "there was no evidence that 'students were forced to participate in a political protest,'" as some media outlets had reported.
"I wouldn’t advise conflicting views be avoided," Case wrote.
His recommendations focused on better planning and communication with students and parents.
