The Ford government plans to create new offices at every school board to help parents and students with serious concerns, as part of its ongoing changes to Ontario’s education system.
The province says the first offices will open in January at school boards that are currently under government supervision. These offices will be the first place families can go when their school cannot solve a difficult problem.
“Student and Family Support Offices will give families clear answers and quick solutions about their child’s education,” Education Minister Paul Calandra said in a statement. He added that the government will keep updating the school board system so more money goes into classrooms, teachers get better support, and students have the best chance to succeed.
Over the past year, Calandra has taken major control of the education system, putting five school boards under government-appointed supervisors and launching several investigations. He has also said he does not plan to return these supervised boards to elected trustees.
New legislation, which will skip the usual committee process, would make it easier for the minister to place more boards under supervision. Calandra is also considering removing elected trustees from all public school boards in Ontario.
Some trustees, parents, and opposition leaders say the supervisors — who can earn up to $700,000 over two years and claim $40,000 in expenses — are not available to help with student concerns. They argue that trustees were locally accountable and helped families get answers when school problems were stuck in the system.
“I think the government is removing people who are truly accountable to their local community and replacing them with something we don’t understand,” said Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles. She added that the minister hasn’t solved the problems created by taking away local voices.
The province says the new offices will confirm they received a question within two days and respond within five.
The five boards currently under supervision — Dufferin-Peel Catholic, Ottawa-Carleton, Thames Valley, Toronto Catholic, and the Toronto District School Board — will open their offices in January.
All other school boards must have a plan for these offices by March and open them by September 2026.
