Premier Doug Ford says the province may get rid of school board trustees. He suggested that, while taking a shot at the Thames Valley District School Board, saying, “Well, there’s some good and some bad ones.” Last year, the school board came under fire after a pricey executive retreat at a Blue Jay’s game. “The bad ones like to go to the baseball game and rent a box for what is it, $34,000 in the hotel suites looking over the baseball game that other people can’t afford. And then they say they don’t have money,” said Ford. Only senior administrative officials were on that trip, a fact the premier did not clarify in his remarks. Board trustees were not aware of the expense, nor did they attend. The province is currently seeking more involvement in the province’s school boards, with the introduction of Bill 33, a bill which would give Ontario’s education minister more power to take control of the province’s school boards. The bill would include a requirement to allow police on school premises. Under the bill, school boards would also have to grant officers permission to implement school resource officer programs, wherever such programs are available. - With files from CP24’s Beth Macdonell
