Province stepping in to strengthen accountability and ensure public funding is supporting student success

The Minister of Education is taking action at the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) in response to serious concerns about infighting and long-term financial unsustainability that risk disrupting learning and undermining student outcomes.

As part of its plan to protect Ontario and ensure students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, these actions will help the province restore sound financial management at these boards and ensure that every dollar invested is preparing students with practical skills for good-paying, stable careers.

“I’m taking immediate action to put an end to mismanagement and disruption at two school boards that are directly and negatively impacting both students and teachers,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education.

“The action I am taking at the PDSB will put an immediate halt to a disruptive mid-year upheaval in staffing that would have created uncertainty for parents, students and teachers alike. I am also putting the YCDSB on notice that the infighting, disruption and serious financial concerns that have undermined student success for years need to end immediately, with every penny of public funding directed to support students in the classroom.”

The Minister is immediately placing PDSB under provincial supervision and has halted the board’s imminent layoff plan, which would have seen 60 classroom teachers lose their jobs and caused significant learning disruption for nearly 1,400 students in the middle of the school year.

The board has also run a deficit for five consecutive years, affecting its long‑term financial sustainability. The board has been given 14 days to respond to the Minister’s concerns, after which the Minister will determine whether to continue with supervision.

The YCDSB has also been informed that the Minister intends to take action to place the board under supervision if it fails to appropriately respond to the pressing governance and financial concerns in the next 14 days. The board’s years of inadequate financial management have depleted its reserves, putting its ability to serve students and the broader community at serious risk.

High-risk financial assumptions in the board’s financial recovery plan, along with an alarming revolving door in leadership and ongoing governance issues, have raised doubts about the YCDSB’s ability to balance its budget and put students first.

Six other school boards are currently under provincial supervision to address concerns related to growing deficits, depleting reserves and poor management decisions.

~Image by RDNE Stock Project on Pexels