The Ontario government has moved to intervene at two of the province’s largest school boards, citing concerns that governance disputes and long-term financial instability could undermine student outcomes and disrupt classroom learning.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education said it is taking action at the Peel District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board as part of a broader effort to strengthen accountability and ensure public education funding is focused on student success. The measures form part of the province’s plan to safeguard Ontario’s education system and prepare students for future employment in a changing economy.
Education Minister Paul Calandra said the province could not allow ongoing mismanagement and internal conflict to negatively affect students and teachers. “I’m taking immediate action to put an end to mismanagement and disruption at two school boards that are directly and negatively impacting both students and teachers,” he said. “The action I am taking at the PDSB will put an immediate halt to a disruptive mid-year upheaval in staffing that would have created uncertainty for parents, students and teachers alike. I am also putting the YCDSB on notice that the infighting, disruption and serious financial concerns that have undermined student success for years need to end immediately, with every penny of public funding directed to support students in the classroom.”
As part of the intervention, the minister has placed the Peel District School Board under provincial supervision, effective immediately. The move includes halting an imminent layoff plan that would have resulted in the loss of 60 classroom teachers and disrupted learning for nearly 1,400 students partway through the academic year.
According to the ministry, Peel has recorded operating deficits for five consecutive years, raising concerns about its long-term financial sustainability. The board has been given 14 days to respond formally to the minister’s concerns. Following that period, the minister will decide whether provincial supervision should continue.
The York Catholic District School Board has also been placed on notice. The ministry said it intends to move toward supervision if the board fails to address pressing governance and financial issues within the next two weeks. York Catholic’s financial challenges include depleted reserves after years of inadequate financial management, as well as what the province described as high-risk assumptions in its financial recovery plan.
In addition to fiscal concerns, the ministry pointed to ongoing governance problems and frequent leadership turnover at York Catholic as factors that have raised doubts about the board’s ability to balance its budget and prioritize student needs. Officials warned that, without corrective action, the board’s capacity to serve students and the wider community could be compromised.
The province noted that Peel and York Catholic are not isolated cases. Six other Ontario school boards are currently under provincial supervision due to issues such as growing deficits, declining reserves and poor management decisions. The government said these interventions are intended to uphold public confidence in the publicly funded education system and to ensure boards operate in a stable and accountable manner.
The current actions are underpinned by legislative changes introduced through the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025. The legislation amended the Education Act to expand and streamline the minister’s oversight powers, including authority over school board finances, governance and program performance. The act allows the minister to initiate investigations, issue binding directions or place boards under supervision when matters of public interest arise.
When a board is placed under supervision, the minister may appoint a supervisor to assume the powers and duties of the board. Supervisors typically bring expertise in governance, finance or public accountability and are required to report regularly to the ministry while working to restore stability and operational efficiency.
The Ministry of Education said the latest interventions reflect a “back-to-basics” approach aimed at improving student outcomes and ensuring education dollars are spent in classrooms rather than absorbed by inefficiencies or governance disputes. The province maintains that decisive action is necessary where local governance failures threaten learning continuity.
For families and educators at the affected boards, the coming weeks will be closely watched as Peel responds to provincial supervision and York Catholic works to avoid a similar outcome. The government has signalled that, where necessary, it is prepared to act quickly to protect students and reinforce accountability across Ontario’s public education system.
