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Ford government takes over 8th Ontario school board, sidelining trustees

Click to play video: 'Calandra says he could remove all Ontario English public school trustees ‘in one fell swoop’ if he wanted to'
Calandra says he could remove all Ontario English public school trustees ‘in one fell swoop’ if he wanted to
WATCH: Calandra says he could remove all Ontario English public school trustees 'in one fell swoop' if he wanted to – Dec 5, 2025

The Ford government has put an eighth Ontario school board under the direct control of the Ministry of Education, appointing a supervisor to sideline trustees in York Region and confirming a separate takeover in Peel.

The province announced the news on Thursday afternoon, a little over a month after Peel District School Board was put under supervision and York Catholic District School Board was told it could be next.

Education Minister Paul Calandra said the moves came as a result of concerns about long-term financial sustainability and “infighting” among trustees.

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“After careful review, it is clear that both Peel and York Catholic are facing serious challenges that they cannot resolve on their own,” he wrote in a statement.

“I have appointed supervisors to restore sound management, strengthen oversight and ensure every decision is focused on protecting student learning and success.”

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Peel District School Board has been under temporary supervision since the end of January, when Calandra placed himself in charge of the board to prevent staffing changes.

At that point, he told both Peel and York Catholic he would listen to their arguments on why they should not be taken over full-time. They were submitted in February and appear to have been rejected by the government.

Heather Watt, a management consultant, will take over the day-to-day running of Peel public. Carrie Kormos, with a background in consulting and casinos, will take over York Catholic.

“Ms. Watt and Ms. Kormos will provide the ministry with regular updates on their work to stabilize the boards’ financial situation, introduce efficiency measures and strengthen overall operational effectiveness,” the government wrote.

More to come.

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