ONTARIO PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARDS' ASSOCIATION
OPSBA Statement on Bill 101, Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026

Below is a statement from Ontario Public School Boards' Association President Kathleen Woodcock:

"OPSBA is in the process of reviewing the legislation and its full implications. However, we are already deeply concerned by measures that would remove core responsibilities from elected trustees, including authority over budgets and leadership in collective bargaining. Let's be clear, removing these responsibilities from trustees means removing decisions from people who are directly accountable to the community.

Over the past several months, we have seen troubling decisions made in supervised boards without public consultation - decisions such as changing school bell times, lifting class size caps, eliminating programs, closing schools, and reducing supports for students in high-needs communities and those with special education needs. These decisions are being made by highly paid individuals - making as much as $350,000 a year - accountable only to the Minister of Education, not to local communities.

In early March, groups representing all levels of the education sector called on Minister Calandra to consult with them on the rumoured governance changes. No consultations occurred. We continue to call on the Minister to provide a clear and transparent plan to return the supervised boards to stable, locally accountable governance. There is still no publicly available list of goals or tasks that the supervised boards need to achieve in order for supervision to be concluded. Students, families, and staff deserve to understand how decisions impacting their classrooms are being made and how local voices will be restored.

At a time when Ontario should be strengthening public education, these changes point to increased centralization and a growing distance between Queen's Park and the communities they serve, making it harder for local voices to be heard. It is more important than ever that strong, committed individuals step forward to serve as local trustees and advocate for students and families at the local level."

- Kathleen Woodcock, President