A parent group in the Waterloo region is raising concerns about a bill that would allow the province to remove elected public school trustees and replace them with government-appointed supervisors.
The Waterloo Region Assembly of Public School Councils (WRAPSC) is an independent organization representing school councils within the Waterloo Region District School Board, operated by parents and without political ties.
The group has reached out to the Ontario Ombudsman, expressing their worries about Bill 33. This bill was approved in November, giving Education Minister Paul Calandra increased authority over school boards and other parts of the education system.
Since Calandra became education minister last March, seven school boards have been placed under supervision due to alleged financial mismanagement.
Calandra mentioned last month that York Catholic District School Board might also soon be under provincial oversight after its reserves were depleted.
So far, local public school trustees haven’t faced any repercussions, but this could change when sessions at the Ontario Legislature resume on March 23.
In December, Calandra indicated he was considering eliminating trustee roles from all Ontario school boards by 2026 in favor of provincial supervisors. Last year, all 72 boards were warned to focus funds directly on classrooms.
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Many meetings held by Waterloo Region District School Board councils see high attendance from concerned parents, including some captured here in a CBC file photo waiting hours ahead of a May 2023 meeting for two vacant trustee seats. (Aastha Shetty/CBC)
She believes there could be several negative outcomes if elected trustees are removed, such as larger class sizes and insufficient representation for everyone involved.
“Our trustees were among the first to learn.. what class disturbances look like. How many times do classes get evacuated? So how often do other issues arise during class time?” Heroux said.
“That’s an important job. That [research idea] is something they came up with on their own by hearing it from parents and concerned members of the public.”
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WRAPSC’s worries were echoed by representatives from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), and the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO), along with input from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association during a press conference at Queen’s Park earlier this month.
ETFO president David Mastin stated that since 2018, public education funding has fallen short by $6.3 billion according to a 2025 report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
“Supervision doesn’t address chronic underfunding; it does not solve staffing shortages; it does not reduce class sizes,” said OSSTF president Martha Hradowy.
“What it does is it distracts from what students, education workers and teachers experience daily in classrooms,” she said.
WATCH | Trustee role could be eliminated, says Ontario education minister:
Education minister eyes axing trustee role; analyzes expensesOntario’s education minister recently criticized a Toronto school board trustee’s expenses. As CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp explains, this comes as the province considers getting rid of school board trustee positions entirely.
In a statement from Amanda Mohammed at Waterloo Region District School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee also urged consultation with their group before any decisions about local trustees are made.
“Parent engagement in Ontario is not optional,” she wrote in her statement.
“Research clearly shows that students with engaged parents are more likely to succeed academically; meaning higher grades, better attendance, improved behavior and well-being.”
‘The status quo isn’t working,’ says province
In an emailed response sent to , Calandra’s press secretary Emma Testani addressed WRAPSC’s concerns.
“Minister Calandra has made it clear that while no final decision regarding trustees has been reached yet; things can’t continue as they are now. The board and its trustees should focus only on student success; anything less highlights exactly why reforming governance is being considered,” part of her statement read.
“In boards currently supervised by us; we’ve observed how streamlined governance results in quicker actions leading towards better outcomes for students.” This experience informs our efforts toward strengthening governance throughout our system where guidance will be provided shortly concerning upcoming decisions.”
The also reached out for comments from Waterloo Region District School Board.
Trustees ‘an important local voice,’ group’s chair says
Sara Heroux, chair of WRAPSC, urges both the province and the Ontario Ombudsman to think about how removing trustees might silence students’ and parents’ voices. “This isn’t something that we need to be worried about today, but we are concerned that the government is looking to remove trustees in the future. And we do feel that those trustees are an important local voice,” Heroux told . “This has to be a concern across the entire province. We’re trying to show our solidarity with the voices of the [school boards] that have already been taken over.”
Education minister eyes axing trustee role; analyzes expensesOntario’s education minister recently criticized a Toronto school board trustee’s expenses. As CBC’s Lorenda Reddekopp explains, this comes as the province considers getting rid of school board trustee positions entirely.
In a statement from Amanda Mohammed at Waterloo Region District School Board’s Parent Involvement Committee also urged consultation with their group before any decisions about local trustees are made.
“Parent engagement in Ontario is not optional,” she wrote in her statement.
“Research clearly shows that students with engaged parents are more likely to succeed academically; meaning higher grades, better attendance, improved behavior and well-being.”
