Ontario puts Peel school board under supervision, York Catholic board ‘on notice’

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra says the moves are in response to concerns over infighting and long-term financial unsustainability.

Ontario is placing the Peel District School Board (PDSB) under provincial supervision and warning the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) it could be next, citing serious concerns about governance failures, internal conflict and long-term financial instability.

In a news release on Wednesday, Education Minister Paul Calandra said the province is intervening to stop “mismanagement and disruption” that he says is negatively impacting students and teachers.

“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,” Calandra said in a statement.

At PDSB, the province says it has halted an imminent layoff plan that would have eliminated 60 classroom teaching jobs and disrupted learning for nearly 1,400 students in the middle of the school year.

“The board has also run deficits for five consecutive years, raising concerns about its long-term financial sustainability,” the government said.

Peel has been given 14 days to respond to the minister’s concerns, after which Calandra will decide whether to continue the supervision.

York Catholic has also been told it could be placed under supervision within 14 days if it fails to address what the province describes as “pressing governance and financial concerns.”

“The province says years of poor financial management at YCDSB have depleted its reserves, while high-risk assumptions in its recovery plan, frequent leadership turnover and ongoing governance issues have raised doubts about the board’s ability to balance its budget.

The move comes less than a year after the province took over both the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic District School Board in June 2025, signalling a widening crackdown on what the province says are financially troubled school boards.

It should be noted that the takeovers are enabled by the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 (Bill 33).

How critics are responding to Bill 33

Critics have previously described the bill as undemocratic, as government supervision of boards removes the role of elected trustees, but Calandra previously said the law allows him to put boards back on track when they “fall off the rails,” citing the example of the Near North District School Board.

• Ontario education minister eyes more possible board takeovers with now-passed bill

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has also been critical of the province’s new authority, often framing it as a “political power grab” several months prior.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Education Shadow Minister Chandra Pasma said “Minister Calandra’s handpicked school supervisors are failing to support parents struggling to get answers about their kids’ education. Instead of giving them answers, the government just added more bureaucracy.”

“The Minister needs to show parents some respect, restore democratically elected and accountable trustees, and invest in special education, rather than $350,000 salaries for Conservative appointees.”

Six other Ontario school boards are already under provincial supervision over concerns related to growing deficits, depleted reserves and management decisions.

The province says the interventions are aimed at restoring public trust and ensuring funding is directed into classrooms.

Ontario Liberal Interim Leader John Fraser criticized the government’s decision, calling it “wrong.”

“Schools belong to the families and communities they serve. Doug Ford and Paul Calandra believe all schools can be run from an office at Queen’s Park,” Fraser said in a statement. “That is wrong.”

He added that the government is taking over schools to “deflect from the fact that schools aren’t safe places to learn,” saying that classes are too big, special education has been “starved,” and the mental health crisis is not being addressed.

“How many more boards will be taken over before the minister admits his government’s failures? How are educators expected to plan for the short or long term when they don’t know which board this government will take over next? It’s been almost eight years, and all Doug Ford and his gang have done is make a mess of our schools,” Fraser said.