Fewer people running for trustee in some of Ontario’s supervised school boards

The slate of municipal election candidates for school trustee positions in certain Ontario school boards under provincial supervision is expected to be smaller than previous years. Education Minister Paul Calandra took control of eight school boards following financial mismanagement concerns. These boards, including Toronto’s public and Catholic boards, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, and York Catholic District School Board, have been under supervision for more than a year.

Education Minister Calandra has not indicated when these boards will return to trustee control, stating that the process will take whatever time is necessary to restore order. Some trustees, like Ottawa-Carleton District School Board member Donna Dickson, are now running for city council instead, citing the limited ability to help parents due to supervision constraints.

Legislation has also reduced trustees' roles, focusing on budget responsibilities and central bargaining. The municipal election candidate registration deadline for the Oct. 26 elections is this Friday, and as of now, many trustee positions are either unopposed or have only one candidate registered. Some trustees, like York Catholic District School Board candidate Yan Zhou, believe the temporary supervision makes good governance and representation more crucial, encouraging more candidates to enter the race.