Trustees with the Bluewater District School Board are voicing opposition to a potential provincial move that could see English public school trustees removed across Ontario.
At the board’s regular meeting on February 17, 2026, trustees passed two motions introduced by Vice-Chair Jan Johnstone directing staff to send letters to the Ombudsman of Ontario and Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra.
In correspondence to Ombudsman Paul Dubé, the board endorsed a recent request from the Waterloo Region District School Board seeking a review of how altering Ontario’s current school board governance structure could affect fairness, openness, transparency, and accountability. Trustees point to previous remarks from the Minister of Education about potentially eliminating democratically elected English public school trustees, while French and Catholic trustees would continue in their roles.
Board members argued that such a change raises significant equity concerns, including the possible loss of Indigenous representation at the board table and the elimination of student trustees. Student trustees are currently the only legislated voice representing Ontario students within English public school boards. Trustees are also asking that any review examine the absence of formal public consultation to date, noting that recent polling suggests skepticism about whether the proposed changes would strengthen public education.
The Ombudsman operates independently from government as an officer of the legislature, with a mandate to investigate issues of public interest, uphold fairness, and help ensure accountability in public services across Ontario.
In a separate letter to Minister Calandra, trustees called for a comprehensive province-wide consultation process before any final decision is made. They said such a process should encourage open dialogue and genuine two-way engagement, gathering input from students, parents, education workers, and community members, while also including a thorough, research-based examination of the advantages and disadvantages of the government’s proposal.
Trustees expressed concern that removing locally elected trustees would leave families and communities without meaningful avenues to influence or respond to future provincial directives affecting their schools.
“The potential move by the provincial government to eliminate English public school trustees should deeply concern parents and community members,” said Vice-Chair Johnstone. “As the oldest form of democratically elected representation in Ontario, trustees serve as a vital link between families and the school board, ensuring that local voices are reflected in decisions that directly affect students.”
Board Chair Jane Thomson echoed those concerns, warning of long-term consequences if local governance structures are dismantled.
“Without the community connections that are enabled by locally elected trustees, we risk losing meaningful advocacy and local decision-making ability,” added Chair Thomson. “This is especially concerning for our most vulnerable learners, including students with special education needs, whose families often rely on trustees to champion the supports and services they deserve. Parents need to be acutely aware of the long-term and irreversible impact that the loss of our current local governance structure would have on transparency, accountability, and the strength of their voice in their child’s education.”
