The York Catholic District School Board could be next in line for the Ford government’s education shakeup, as the province digs into its worsening finances, saying all options are on the table.
Since he was appointed education minister in March, Paul Calandra has appointed supervisors to take control of several of the province’s largest school boards, including Toronto public, Toronto Catholic and Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
Calandra has said that his moves to sideline — and possibly abolish — trustees are because of the deficits and financial difficulty the boards have found themselves in.
A new list obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws, however, shows the education minister was presented with a list of eight Ontario boards labelled as “high” risk financially and, so far, has only taken control of five.
The five boards placed under supervision already are:
- Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board
- Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
- Thames Valley District School Board
- Toronto Catholic District School Board
- Toronto District School Board
Three others at high financial risk remain under the control of trustees:
- Durham Catholic District School Board
- Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
- York Catholic District School Board
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Calandra’s office said his five school board takeovers were prompted by financial mismanagement by trustees, and more local boards could follow.
“The decision to appoint supervisors was made after third-party investigators confirmed what parents already see: these boards have been incapable of managing the historic education funding that we continue to provide,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are restoring accountability in Ontario’s education system and putting all trustees on notice: focus on your mandate, or step aside.”
Of the three boards which have not yet been taken over, his office suggested the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board would likely remain untouched.
They said the financial issues at that board, which led to it being flagged as high risk, largely relate to a single settlement and therefore didn’t necessarily point to broader structural issues.
The Durham Catholic District School Board, Calandra’s office said, was at risk but doesn’t currently have an accumulated deficit, which limits the ability of the government to step in. Legislation tabled in the spring could, if passed, remove that roadblock.
Calandra’s office suggested York Catholic District Board was at the highest risk of having a supervisor appointed.
The board has seen its financial situation worsen substantially this year, with its fate currently in the hands of the province.
In January, the board submitted a multi-year financial recovery plan to Queen’s Park, which was approved. Then, in June, its finances worsened, and it had to submit a new plan to the province.
Calandra is currently reviewing the plan and deciding if he will approve it. If he doesn’t, trustees could be sidelined and a supervisor appointed.
“The Board of Trustees and Senior Team are dedicated to the sound financial management of the money entrusted to us by the public,” the board said in a statement after it submitted its financial plan in January.
“Unfortunately, the York Catholic DSB has faced several financial challenges in recent years, including declining school enrolment in our elementary schools, inadequate funding for special education, and rising transportation and IT infrastructure costs.”
The board did not respond to a request for comment from Global News ahead of publication.
NDP education critic Chandra Pasma said taking over more boards won’t get at the root cause of deficits, which she says is underfunding.
“The minister can order an investigation into every board in the province if he wants, but it’s going to keep finding the same thing,” she said.
“This is a mismatch between the funding and the cost. Not an issue of mismanagement.”
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
