Article – The storm surrounding Education Minister Stephen Lecce’s comments about potentially eliminating school trustees has exposed a deeper fault line in Ontario’s education governance model, one that’s existed since well before this latest controversy erupted.
“School boards are creatures of the province,” explained Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, when I reached her by phone. “But they also represent an important democratic connection between communities and their schools.”
During a CBC Radio interview last week, Lecce suggested his government was considering “all options” including possibly scrapping the elected trustee positions that have governed Ontario school boards for generations. The comments came amid ongoing tensions between the province and several boards over issues ranging from curriculum implementation to financial management.
The reaction was swift and forceful. Parents’ groups, education advocates, and opposition parties denounced what they characterized as an attack on democratic representation in education. NDP education critic Chandra Pasma called it “an unprecedented power grab” during Question Period at Queen’s Park.
When I visited a Toronto District School Board meeting last evening, the anxiety was palpable. Trustees spoke in hushed tones before the session began, while a parent delegation arrived wearing buttons reading “Defend Democratic Education.”
For Kidder, the minister’s comments represent just the latest chapter in a decades-long centralizing trend. “Since the 1990s, we’ve seen successive governments pull funding and decision-making authority away from local boards,” she noted. “But removing elected representatives altogether would fundamentally alter how communities engage with education.”
The province currently funds about 97% of education costs, with school boards having limited taxation powers compared to municipalities. This financial reality has gradually shifted the balance of power toward Queen’s Park, even as trustees remain the public face of school governance in their communities.
Data from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association shows trustees typically earn between $7,500 and $24,000 annually, depending on the board size and student population. The 72 English and French school boards across Ontario employ approximately 700 trustees combined.
Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, attempted to downplay her colleague’s comments yesterday, telling reporters that “no decisions have been made” while acknowledging the government is reviewing “outdated governance structures.”
I spoke with Rachel Williams, a second-term trustee with the Halton District School Board, who believes eliminating trustees would disproportionately harm vulnerable communities. “When a parent has a problem with their child’s education, they call their trustee, not the Minister,” Williams said. “We’re the accessible face of the system, especially for newcomers or families navigating special education.”
The tension isn’t entirely new. In 2019, the Ford government reduced the number of Toronto trustees from 22 to 20 and has previously suspended trustees who challenged provincial directives. Last year’s implementation of the controversial mandatory online learning requirement saw several boards publicly criticize the province’s approach, further straining relations.
“The real issue here isn’t just about trustees,” observed Charles Pascal, former Ontario deputy minister of education, when I called him for perspective. “It’s about whether we believe education governance should include meaningful local input or simply be another branch of the provincial government.”
Research from the Canadian School Boards Association suggests systems with local governance tend to be more responsive to community needs, particularly in diverse urban areas or remote rural communities where one-size-fits-all approaches often fall short.
At yesterday’s budget committee meeting at the Upper Grand District School Board, I watched as trustees debated how to absorb a $3.7 million funding shortfall without cutting crucial supports for vulnerable students. These granular, community-specific decisions represent the kind of work that would likely shift to provincial bureaucrats if trustees were eliminated.
Some education observers have suggested the minister’s comments might be strategic positioning ahead of upcoming contract negotiations with teachers’ unions or part of a broader effort to shift public focus away from classroom funding challenges.
Others point to school boards in Nova Scotia, which eliminated elected English-language trustees in 2018, replacing them with appointed regional advisory councils. The move remains controversial, with critics arguing it diminished community voice while supporters claim it streamlined decision-making.
Premier Doug Ford has remained notably silent on the issue, neither endorsing nor contradicting his education minister’s comments. The Premier’s Office declined my request for clarification on the government’s position.
For now, Ontario’s school trustees continue their work under a cloud of uncertainty. The province’s next municipal elections, when trustees would typically face voters, are scheduled for October 2026.
“This isn’t just about jobs or structures,” Williams told me as she prepared for tonight’s budget meeting. “It’s about whether we believe families deserve a direct voice in how their children are educated.”
As the debate unfolds, the fundamental question remains whether education governance is best served through local democratic representation or centralized provincial control—a tension that has defined Ontario’s education system for generations and shows no signs of simple resolution.
