GUELPH – “Very important, significant governmental change is happening” at the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), trustee Martha MacNeil said during an Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB) meeting on Nov. 25.
The association’s board of directors is going to shrink substantially because it cannot afford to keep running as is.
This is “mainly because of the non-payment of dues from school boards that are under supervision,” MacNeil said, referring to the boards that the Ministry of Education has taken control of this year.
When the ministry takes control, it appoints a supervisory officer who oversees board governance, and trustees’ decision making authority is removed.
Since MacNeil’s comments, the ministry has taken over a sixth board: the Near North District School Board (which includes Parry Sound, North Bay and Mattawa).
The ministry announced the takeover on Dec. 1.
Other boards under supervision include: Toronto, Ottawa-Carleton, Thames Valley District, Dufferin-Peel Catholic and Toronto Catholic.
MacNeil said the impact of the boards’ non-payments is compounded by their size – larger boards pay larger fees, so it means OPSBA is taking a significant hit.
Currently, OPSBA’s board of directors includes representatives from each of the English public school boards, but the proposed change would see membership shrink, only including a president; vice president (down from two); past president (when applicable); the chair and vice chair from each region; the First Nations, Inuit, Metis Trustee Council chair; the Black Trustees Caucus chair; and an enrolment director from boards with a student population greater than 15 per cent of the student population of all English boards.
A provision has also been included for “exceptional circumstances where a board has an alternative governance model or where no governing body exists,” MacNeil said. In that case supervisory officers can be appointed.
