Ontario formally takes over York Catholic School Board after threatening it was next

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra speaks at an announcement at a school in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra has named supervisors to run both the Peel District School Board (PDSB) and the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) in response to “serious concerns” about their operations.

“After careful review, it is clear that both Peel and York Catholic are facing serious challenges that they cannot resolve on their own,” Calandra said in a news release. “I have appointed supervisors to restore sound management, strengthen oversight and ensure every decision is focused on protecting student learning and success.”

The province said the decision is being made in response to concerns around infighting and long-term financial sustainability “that risk disrupting learning and undermining student outcomes.”

Back in January the government announced it was taking over the PDSB on a provisional basis to block staffing changes the board was planning, and warned the YCDSB could be next.

Management consultant Heather Watt has now been appointed as supervisor at the PDSB, the government said Wednesday, while executive Carrie Kormos will be in charge of the YCDSB. Kormos is also a director for Invest Ontario and the Canadian Gaming Association.

School boards disappointed

PDSB Chair David Green told CTV News Toronto Thursday he was “shocked” when he received the news today.

“We provided a comprehensive plan addressing all the minister’s concerns, there was no other concern of the minister or his team and they keep looking, keep digging and asking for more stuff,” Green said.

He added that trustees were not involved in the assessment process and the ministry only spoke to board staff.

Green defended the board’s spending plan and said there was no reason the board needed to be taken over.

“To me, this is an overreach by the minister,” Green said, adding that he sees the move as “silencing” the voices of parents.

In a statement, YCDSB Chair Maria Iafrate said she’s disappointed Calandra chose to exercise his powers with respect to the board.

“We respect that the constitution affords him the procedural mechanism to exercise that authority in cases of need. We are disappointed that he has chosen to do so in this instance,” Iafrate wrote.

She said she and her colleagues serve the families of the board “with dedication and commitment” and noted that “student performances academic and otherwise attest to first class achievement. Third party agencies such as EQAO and the Fraser Institute say as much.”

Changes to be announced

The move means eight Ontario school boards are now being run by provincially appointed supervisors. In the fall, the government passed legislation making it easier for the Minister of Education to take over school boards.

Calandra has promised that the government will provide “certainty” around the governance structure of all school boards when it returns to the legislature later this month.

The Ontario NDP slammed the move in a statement, saying “inexperienced political appointees” are being put in charge of children’s education.

“It’s nearly impossible to see how this decision will help students,” NDP education critic Chandra Pasma said in a statement.

“Instead of bringing in experienced educators who understand classrooms and student needs, Minister Calandra has handed control to former Conservative government staffers, one of whom is a casino executive and the other being a Harris-era chief of staff.

Critics have said the government’s use of schoolboard supervisors silences the voices of parents and families by freezing out elected trustees. They have also questioned why supervisors without educational experience are being paid up to $350,000 per year to run school boards.

With files from Siobhan Morris