Keep education close to home
Ontario’s public school boards give families a real voice in education. Now, that voice is at risk.
Protect your voice in public education
Ontario’s Education Minister Paul Calandra says current school board governance is "outdated." But democracy is not outdated.
Without elected trustees, decisions about schools could be made entirely from Queen’s Park, by people who may have never set foot in your community.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting local democracy and ensuring every parent and community has a say in how schools are run.
The Ontario government is considering major changes that would eliminate elected school board trustees – the local, democratic representative who connects families and communities to the education system.
Why this matters
Education decisions belong close to home
Without locally elected trustees, key decisions could be made entirely at Queen’s Park, including school closures, program cuts, and funding priorities – without consultation or community input. When local voices are shut out, everyone loses.
Keep education decisions where they belong – in your community.
Democracy is worth protecting
Democracy is not "outdated". It’s how we make sure every community, from Kenora to Kingston, has a say in shaping the schools that shape our kids. Elected trustees mean open meetings, transparent budgets, and accountability you can see. Eliminating them silences the only direct, elected voice families have in public education. Once that’s gone – it’s gone for good.
Protect your voice in education – before it’s gone.
Trustees are neighbours you can reach
Trustees are your neighbours and community champions. They listen to families, solve local problems, and make sure decisions reflect the needs of the people who live there. From full-day kindergarten to student mental-health supports, Ontario’s best ideas often start locally – led by trustees who know their communities best.
They’re your kids. You deserve a voice.
Add your name.
Share your voice.
Tell the Ontario government to keep education decisions close to home and protect our democratically-elected local school board trustees.
How trustees make a difference in real life
Ontario’s public school board trustees are locally elected every four years to represent families in their communities. They visit schools, manage local issues, attend meetings and respond to parents. They are compensated between $5,000 to $25,000 per year.
You may not always see your local trustee, but you feel their work every day. Trustees are the reason your child’s school has programs, supports and safety standards in place.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Smaller classes and safer schools
Trustees help create and strengthen policies on class size, concussion safety, vaping and cellphone use – keeping kids safe and focused on learning.
Help for families
When buses are chronically late, when a program is cut, or a family needs help navigating the system, trustees connect you to solutions.
Special education supports
Trustees partner with parents and educators to ensure every child, including students with disabilities or learning challenges, can learn and participate fully.
Healthy and caring schools
Many boards, led by trustees, have launched healthy food programs, mental health supports, and dental programs that help students thrive.
Balanced budgets
Trustees oversee, and balance, billion-dollar budgets to ensure public funds go where they matter most – into classrooms and student supports, not bureaucracy.
Trustees make sure Ontario’s schools reflect the priorities, values, and needs of the community. Because they live here, too.
In the news
Deachman: School trustees are essential voices in education. Leave them alone
Eliminating school trustees would weaken democracy, says former HDSB chair
Ontario’s move to eliminate school trustees could stifle parents’ concerns, critics say
I’m a School Trustee, and Doug Ford Wants to Eliminate My Job
OPINION: Renewal of school boards needed, not removal of trustees
Brady warns elimination of school trustees threatens local democracy
“They’re taking away my democratic voice”: This east-end parent is enraged by Doug Ford’s TDSB takeover
