The Ontario government has introduced a sweeping new bill that proposes to dramatically restructure English-language school boards, significantly reducing the role and number of elected trustees and overhauling financial oversight in a move the province says is necessary to improve student achievement.
The legislation, titled the Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026, was announced Monday by Education Minister Paul Calandra. It aims to put an end to what the government calls “ongoing governance breakdowns and financial mismanagement.” If passed, the bill would cap the number of trustees at 12 per board, limit their annual honoraria to $10,000, and strip them of the power to amend budgets or fire their top executive without ministerial approval.
The proposed changes have triggered a fierce backlash from local leaders in Brampton and across the province, who argue the legislation silences community voices and centralizes power with the ministry. Critics contend the government is creating a solution for a problem of its own making, citing chronic underfunding as the real issue facing Ontario’s schools.
Local leaders condemn proposal as 'bullying'
Peel District School Board (PDSB) chair David Green condemned the move, comparing the government’s actions to bullying. In a statement, Green said that while the education system teaches children that such behaviour is unacceptable, trustees province-wide have felt “pressured, threatened and publicly undermined” by Minister Calandra’s comments and directives.
Green stated that school boards have long argued the primary challenge is “chronic underfunding not governance.” He added that the minister’s recent actions have “raised serious concerns” about his understanding of the role and value of locally elected trustees. "Instead of addressing these systemic issues, the minister has created a scenario that appears to serve political interests rather than the needs of students, staff, or communities," Green said.
Caledon PDSB trustee Stan Cameron was even more pointed in his criticism, challenging the minister’s justification for the bill. Calling Calandra a “master thief of fact and storyteller of untruths,” Cameron highlighted the PDSB’s financial stability. He noted the board “has always approved a balanced budget” and currently holds a “$140-million surplus.”
“Where is his announcement, even one word about addressing his ministry’s lack of funding for our children, their families, and our staff? Nowhere!” Cameron stated.
Sweeping changes to board governance
The Putting Student Achievement First Act proposes a fundamental shift in how school boards are run. The current role of director of education will be transformed into a chief executive officer (CEO) with mandatory business qualifications, responsible for all financial and operational management, including preparing the budget.
A new position, chief education officer, will be created to oversee the teaching and pedagogical side of the board. This officer will be appointed by the CEO. While trustees can review the budget and suggest changes, they would lose the authority to amend it. Any disagreements between the board and the CEO over the budget would be sent to the minister for a final decision.
Furthermore, trustees would retain the power to hire the CEO but would require approval from the Minister of Education to terminate their employment. The province claims this will prevent “reprisals and dismissals” against the CEO for their decisions. The changes also impact collective bargaining, designating the Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE) as the central bargaining agency for English school boards, effectively removing elected trustees from direct negotiations.
Beyond governance, the bill introduces significant changes to the classroom experience. It mandates the use of “ministry-approved learning resources” across Ontario, introduces mandatory written exams for all high school grades (9 through 12), and makes attendance and participation a component of students’ final marks, accounting for 15 per cent in grades 9-10 and 10 per cent in grades 11-12.
Province says changes will restore focus on students
The government defends the legislation as a necessary step to hold underperforming school boards accountable. In a news release, the province stated the act will “close the gaps that have allowed failures in oversight.”
“Ontario’s education system must remain focused on its core responsibility: student success. In some school boards, that focus has been lost, and students are paying the price,” Minister Calandra said. The government insists the measures will ensure that taxpayer dollars are directed into classrooms and that boards are consistently managed by professionals with expertise in operations and finance. The move comes amid ongoing tensions between the province and several school boards. This legislation represents one of the most significant assertions of provincial control over education governance in decades, impacting how communities from major urban centres like Brampton and Toronto have a say in their local schools. For families navigating school choices in Brampton’s diverse neighbourhoods, the reduction in trustee representation could mean having a less direct line to decision-makers, and comes after recent events such as police investigating an attempted child abduction at Roxbury school.
Critics warn of diminished democracy
Education unions and public school advocates have widely denounced the bill. The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) expressed “deep concern” over the removal of core trustee responsibilities.
Woodcock pointed to what she called “troubling” recent actions in boards already under provincial supervision, including school closures and cuts to special education, where decisions were made by unelected supervisors earning as much as $350,000 annually and accountable only to the minister.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said the legislation “removes the essential powers trustees need to genuinely represent families and students.” Ontario Greens Leader Mike Schreiner warned that the bill would simply create more bureaucracy while silencing local voices. Advocacy groups also raised alarms, with the AODA Alliance warning the changes would harm vulnerable students. Chair David Lepofsky said that cutting the number of Toronto trustees from 22 to 12 gives parents of students with disabilities “half the access” to fight systemic barriers, handing “even more free reign” to unelected bureaucrats.
As the bill moves forward, the debate intensifies over the future of local democratic oversight in Ontario's education system, with critics maintaining that student achievement is best supported through well-funded schools and empowered communities, not centralized control.
