Public school board trustees challenge Ontario's takeover of TVDSB that left them without a job

Some London-area school board trustees say the Ontario government is wrong to take away local decision-making powers in education while accusing them of mismanaging millions of public dollars. 

They're also concerned that Thames Valley District School Board families, who rely on trustees to steer them toward information about school-related activities, will be left without help as the school year draws near. 

"I am extremely worried for families. I get a lot of calls and emails because navigating the system is really tricky," said Christian Sachs, who represents Middlesex County on the board of trustees. 

"I am a sounding board, a neutral party. I can look into things for them, advocate for them, look at policies that apply. God forbid your student have any issues." 

Trustees were locked out of their Thames Valley email accounts last month and those who try to email them are told to contact the director of education.

In April, the province essentially took over the board, punting locally elected officials out of the decision-making process and appointing lawyer Paul Bonifero as a supervisor to clean up financial mismanagement and a ballooning budget deficit. 

But Bonifero's budget is projecting a $32-million deficit, nearly double what was previously projected. The education minister has placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of trustees, saying he is "disappointed" with the numbers.  

We were kicked to the curb and told we were the problem. This is a structural problem. A public funding problem."- Christian Sachs, TVDSB trustee

"This reaffirms just how profoundly trustees failed in their duty to manage public funds and why it was necessary to place the board under supervision. It also underscores the need for the ministry to have a more proactive role in the management of school boards across the province," Education Minister Paul Calandra said in an email. 

"The supervisor at TVDSB is now taking the action needed to restore fiscal responsibility, ensure long-term financial stability, and make sure funding goes where it belongs, directly into classrooms to support students and teachers."

Neither Calandra nor Bonifero responded to a request for an interview with CBC News. Neither has been available for an interview with CBC News since the takeover in April.

System underfunded, trustees say

But trustees say the provincial position is a distraction from underfunding in the education system, and the budget is in the red because the province isn't properly paying for pension and employment insurance contributions, as well as teacher sick days. They say that has to be paid every year and it's out of local trustees' control. 

"You're blaming us for a problem you created," trustee Lori-Ann Pizzolato, who represents parts of London's south and southeast, said of the ministry. 

"They're no closer to balancing the budget than we were, and they hold the purse strings. Me, fighting with the ministry, is a distraction from what needs to be done for the students." 

The pressures on the budget can be fixed with increased funding from the province, she added. 

London Morning8:29The year that was at Thames Valley District School Board

It was a year mired in controversy at the TVDSB. London Morning spoke to interim Director of Education Bill Tucker about the school year and prospects for the future.

Trustees, who are usually reluctant to speak to the media because their policy states that only the chairperson can speak for the board, were uncharacteristically outspoken about the minister's comments. 

"We welcomed having the supervisor come in because we needed help trying to fix this budget but no one wanted to be our partner, We were kicked to the curb and told we were the problem," Sachs said. "This is a structural problem. A public funding problem." 

Pizzolato and fellow trustee Leroy Osbourne, who represents families in the city's northeast, said they're being scape-goated to distract from lack of provincial funding. 

"If the minister is serious and genuine about the governance of school boards, it comes down to properly supporting to do their role as opposed to looking for different ways to undermine us," Osbourne said. 

"We need more partnership from the ministry."