Following their swearing in later this month, newly elected trustees at Toronto’s school boards won’t be able to do much afterwards, as the Ontario government has not lifted their supervision. A Toronto District School Board memo obtained by CTV News details the very limited roles and responsibilities of the school trustees. It maintains that trustees do not have say on school governance and are not representatives of the board. In Catholic boards, trustees will only manage and control denominational components. As a result, trustees may not attend school-based events nor enter school in their capacity as a board member, as well as engage with principals, school staff, or school council. They are also not permitted to serve on committees or attend board meetings in their capacity as trustee unless the supervisor invites them. For all parental and community inquiries, trustees may forward them to the chief executive officer. The memo said trustees can respond to acknowledge receipt and confirm that it’s been forwarded. Trustees are also not allowed to issue newsletters or similar updates to constituents in their capacity as an elected official. They may not incur expenses or seek reimbursement from the board for membership fees in a trustees association or a similar professional association, as well as participation in a discretionary event or activity such as symposiums, conferences, and conventions. The memo also reiterated that trustees will not have access to board resources, including board email accounts, board-issued cell phones, laptops, or tablets. According to the memo, trustee honoraria will be suspended for English-language public board members, while in Catholic boards, trustees will retain 25 per cent as remuneration for attending to the denominational matters. The Toronto District School Board, the Toronto Catholic District School Board and six others were placed under supervision due to allegations of financial mismanagement, budget deficits, infighting, and governance failures. The province has not provided a timeline when it plans to lift supervision. With files from CTV News’ Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Siobhan Morris
