Fewer school board trustee candidates running in October election after Ford government changes

The choices being made come election day usually centre around who will be the next mayor and councillor. But there are some other names on the ballot to be considered – those of candidates running for school board trustee.

“They are democratically elected. They are not employed by the board, and therefore they can truly represent the perspective of the needs of the community,” said Farheen Mahmood, a member of the TDSB parent involvement advisory committee

Parents will be the first to stand up and say there’s a need to study and do your homework, not just their children, but to all who vote. In the minds of many, electing school board trustees can be vital.

“It’s just as important because you know a government can come and go, and legislation, I hope, can change, but we need people in there. It is absolutely critical now,” said Mahmood.

Changes made to school board governance by the Ford government, which has appointed supervisors at eight provincial boards, has reduced the role and the number of trustees running. In this year’s election, 673 total candidates put their names forward to run for trustee at English public school boards, compared to 862 four years ago. Of those, 519 are new while 154 current trustees are seeking re-election. Another 84 positions have been acclaimed.

“I think that there’s still a lot of work to be done to create the system that we want and a strong public education system creates a strong society,” said Simcoe County District School Board trustee candidate Jodi Lloyd.

“We can’t just throw our hands up and say, ‘Well there’s been changes so you know we’re not going to fulfill the role.’ I think it’s a critically important role, I think it’s a role that that parents depend upon.”

At the Toronto District School Board, the size of the wards have grown while the number of trustees has been reduced to 12, along with a reduction in honorarium to just $10,000 per year.

“We are dealing with a government that is anti-democratic and certainly not Toronto-friendly,” said Mahmood

At the start of the school year, Education Minister Paul Calandra told CityNews the role of trustees will still be to “answer parents questions and advocate on behalf of students” despite having reduced responsibilities.