Trustees Respond to Minister’s Budget Critique

More Thames Valley school board trustees are voicing their concerns after Ontario’s education minister labeled their actions as a “profound” failure.

Aug 05, 2025 • Last updated Aug 05, 2025 •

Thames Valley District school board trustee Leroy Osbourne is shown during a debate on May 23, 2023. (Derek Ruttan/The )

Several Thames Valley District school board trustees are pushing back following sharp remarks from Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra, who claimed they have “profoundly” failed in their responsibilities.

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Early last week, Calandra expressed his disappointment upon discovering that the London-area public school board – currently under provincial oversight due to financial issues – is now forecasting a $32 million shortfall for the upcoming 2024-25 budget year.

The board had earlier predicted a $16.8 million deficit based on its roughly $1.2 billion annual budget.

“The supervisor at TVDSB is now taking the action needed to restore fiscal responsibility, ensure long-term financial stability, and make sure funding goes where it belongs, directly into classrooms to support students and teachers,” Calandra said.

However, London trustee Leroy Osbourne accused the minister of “using misinformation to scapegoat trustees for a manufactured budget crisis not of our making.”

According to the board’s website, the deficit was “driven largely by increased costs related to absences in addition to other staffing pressures.”

Other financial strains include costs for student transportation and special education services.

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“No trustee in the province can directly control staff absences or enrolment decreases,” Osbourne stated. “Trustees absolutely cannot control whether the province wants to pay for the boards’ CPP (Canada Pension Plan) and EI (Employment Insurance) obligations, nor can we push the government to pay for the real costs of education today.”</P

The latest budget for the school district covering London and surrounding counties was posted online last week.</P

“This reaffirms just how profoundly trustees failed in their duty to manage public funds and why it was necessary to place the board under (provincial) supervision,” Calandra remarked on Monday, July 28.</P

Thames Valley trustees currently hold no authority within the school board since it’s now overseen by Paul Boniferro, appointed by the province in April. They also lost their stipend of about $18,000 annually.</P

Osbourne criticized a budget allocation of $366,000 designated for paying the supervisor during the school year of 2025-26.</P

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This amount doesn’t clarify how much interim education director Bill Tucker is receiving; however his predecessor Mark Fisher earned $295,999 in 2024.</P

Fisher resigned following a controversial $38,000 staff retreat at a former Sky Dome hotel during a three-game Blue Jays homestand in August 2024.</P

The trip initially reported by The led an audit that resulted in placing oversight over the school board by provincial authorities.</P

Lori-Ann Pizzolato from London also opposed Calandra’s statements.
“This perspective overlooks underlying causes of this deficit which are clearly outlined in TVDSB’s budget and largely out of trustees’ control,” Pizzolato wrote on social media.
She added that challenges faced by the board “are not due to reckless spending or poor planning,” but rather stem from systemic funding gaps and unavoidable cost pressures.”</P

Staff absence replacement costs soared to $35.2 million – up by $12.8 million from last year – because of increased sick leave and short-term disability claims she noted.
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“As stated in this budget these costs are significantly underfunded,” Pizzolato mentioned.

In recent updates received by trustees, the projected deficit for next school year was pegged at around$16.4million.”How did this deficit double under supervision?” she asked. Under supervision, total administrative expenses rose from$30.3millionlastyearto an estimated$31.9millionfor2025-26.”I certainly wouldn’t have supported abudget witha$1.6millionincreaseinadministrativecosts,”she added. The Ministry of Education didn’t provide details regarding what causedthedeficitto reach$32millionand also didn’t respond when asked about clarifyingthebudgetallocationfor thesupervisorand Boniferro’ssalary. Union leaders raised concerns too aboutthebudgetamountsetasidefor Thames Valley’ssupervisor. John Bernans, the local headof Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, suggested large administrative salaries “seems like an inefficient wayof addressingthedeficit.”

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@Heatherat LFP