The Warden of Oxford County believes municipal councils should take partial control of education. Marcus Ryan took to social media over the weekend to make his brief plea. This follows recent events in which the embattled Thames Valley District School Board was rendered powerless by the province due to ongoing financial and leadership uncertainty. Since then, multiple school boards have also lost their authority. While Ryan is supportive of the province stepping in to right the ship, he is also calling for a future balance between Queen’s Park and local communities. “I think we have to be careful and not sort of polarize this conversation between two extremes and say, is there a way we can capture still some local decision making with local input?” Ryan has pitched his solution to several mayors across the province. In a nutshell, he wants municipalities to take over. “I think local councils could very easily look after the school buildings, the properties, the facilities, the recreation facilities. I think likewise, transportation. Municipalities offer all kinds of transportation services. I think the catchment areas, the attendance zones for those schools, we do all kinds of things planning, we’re the main land use planners in Ontario.” Under Ryan’s plan, the province would retain control of curriculum and bargaining with teachers. It’s a bold idea, met with partial acclaim by education consultant Debbie Kasman. “I fully support planning of new schools, where the school should be located, etc. I think that is a fabulous idea!” But Kasman’s support ends at the selection of sites for new schools. She says parents will lose if municipalities have full control of school buildings, transportation, and catchment areas. Instead, she supports a call for parental advisory committees and school councils to be given a broader voice. “I think it’s better if the minister of education builds on those already existing structures.” But Ryan counters by arguing local councils know their communities. “We can do this. We deliver other services that people depend on every single day. We can deliver, you know, to schools and transportation as well.”
