Ontario Bill Overhauls School Board Governance

Ontario's Progressive Conservative government introduced legislation on Monday to overhaul school board governance, significantly curtailing the powers of elected trustees while introducing new executive roles aimed at improving financial oversight and student outcomes.

The Putting Student Achievement First Act, tabled by Education Minister Paul Calandra at Queen's Park, retains trustees but limits their authority over budgets, collective bargaining and expenses. Trustees' annual honorariums will be capped at $10,000, and reimbursements for discretionary spending, such as personal electronics, nonessential travel and hospitality, will be prohibited. School boards will no longer cover fees for trustees' memberships in certain organizations or attendance at unrelated conferences. The number of trustees per board will be restricted to between five and 12, a change that primarily affects the Toronto District School Board, which currently has 22 members.

Under the proposed reforms, the existing director of education position will be replaced by a chief executive officer, or CEO, who must hold business qualifications and will handle financial and operational matters, including budget...