TORONTO — Ontario’s Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, has introduced legislation to remove a school board trustee from office for the alleged misuse of public funds and failure to repay taxpayers for an “excessive and unjustifiable” trip abroad.
The move follows months of scrutiny over travel expenses incurred by a trustee representing Haldimand County on the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. According to the Ministry of Education, the trustee failed to reimburse his share of approximately $50,000 in travel costs related to a trip to Italy, despite repeated requests and a repayment deadline set earlier this year.
In a statement released Monday, Minister Calandra said the government was taking action to uphold accountability and ensure taxpayer money remains focused on student achievement.
“My focus as Minister of Education is to ensure that every dollar invested is preparing students with practical skills for good-paying, stable careers. Every decision I make, every dollar our government spends, must support better outcomes for students and give teachers the tools they need to help them succeed,” Calandra said.
Emphasis on fiscal responsibility
The Minister’s statement underscored a renewed emphasis on fiscal responsibility within Ontario’s education system. Calandra reiterated that the government expects all school boards to channel resources directly to the classroom.
“We expect every school board to direct resources to the classroom, not on luxury trips and wasteful spending,” he said.
According to the Ministry, the trustee was among four board members who participated in the trip, but only one has allegedly failed to return their portion of the costs. The province characterized the expenditure as inconsistent with the fiduciary duties of school board officials and said that clear expectations had been communicated to the individual in question months prior.
“Despite clear expectations communicated to the trustee and a repayment deadline set out in April, one of the four Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustees has failed to reimburse taxpayers for his share of a trip to Italy that amounted to approximately $50,000 in travel costs, an expense that was both excessive and unjustifiable,” Calandra stated.
Legislation to vacate the trustee’s seat
The proposed legislation, tabled in the Ontario Legislature, would formally vacate the trustee’s seat and render him ineligible to serve on any school board in the province for several years. If passed, the law would remove the trustee from office immediately and prevent him from seeking election as a school board trustee in the 2026 municipal elections.
Under the terms outlined by the Minister, the individual would also be barred from filling any trustee vacancy across Ontario until after November 14, 2030.
Calandra said the measure reflects his government’s commitment to restoring trust in the governance of Ontario’s education system.
“This trustee’s refusal to repay what he owes is exactly why we are reviewing Ontario’s school board governance model, because too often trustees lose sight of their responsibility to students,” he said.
He added that while Ontario’s education system relies on local oversight, the province must also ensure that elected officials adhere to principles of transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
Broader review of school board governance
The Minister’s announcement is part of a broader provincial review of school board operations and governance models, launched earlier this year. The review seeks to modernize oversight mechanisms and strengthen accountability for publicly funded education spending.
“Today, I introduced legislation that, if passed, would remove the trustee from Haldimand County from office and bar him from running for a trustee position in any school board in the 2026 municipal elections. He will be ineligible to fill a trustee vacancy on any Ontario school board until after November 14, 2030,” Calandra said.
“If the trustee is unwilling to meet the basic standards of accountability, then he should no longer hold a position of public responsibility. This is about putting students first, something this trustee has failed to do.”
Reinforcing accountability in public education
The Ministry of Education has in recent years tightened spending rules for school boards following several high-profile cases involving questionable travel and expense claims. The government has positioned its latest action as part of a long-term effort to reinforce responsible governance and reallocate resources toward student outcomes and classroom improvement.
Minister Calandra’s statement signals the government’s intent to draw a firm line on fiscal mismanagement within education boards, emphasizing that trust and accountability are central to Ontario’s broader educational mandate.
If the legislation passes, the Haldimand County trustee’s removal will mark one of the few instances in recent memory where the province has directly intervened to vacate an elected school board seat.
