The provincial government has proposed a bill to overhaul how school boards are run

The Ontario government has introduced sweeping changes for school board governance, cutting the number of elected trustees in Toronto and stripping trustees across the province of much of their authority.

The Putting Student Achievement First Act is pitched as a response to alleged financial mismanagement in several school boards. Earlier this year, Education Minister Paul Calandra placed eight boards—including the Toronto and Peel district school boards—under provincial control, replacing elected trustees with government-appointed supervisors. The province has pointed to money trouble, governance disputes and board overreach to justify the takeover, though most boards argue that the province’s chronic underfunding is the real problem.

Related: The TDSB reportedly plans to cut 600 teaching positions

If passed, the legislation would cap every Ontario school board at 12 trustees. (All boards are already under that bar except for the TDSB, which currently has 22.)

Calandra had previously floated the idea of nixing trustees altogether, but he’s settled for significantly narrowing their responsibilities and shifting their authority to two new private-sector-esque positions. A school board’s chief executive officer, who must hold business qualifications, would be responsible for drafting and delivering board budgets, and its chief education officer would focus on academic outcomes and student achievement.

Trustees would hire these executive officers and vote on the CEO’s budget but would need provincial approval to fire them. The bill would also limit trustee honorariums to $10,000 annually (down from roughly $25,000 at the TDSB) and would reduce boards’ discretionary spending.

Related: The TDSB will eliminate 40 vice-principal jobs next year

Students would feel some of the changes directly. The legislation proposes making attendance and participation worth up to 15 per cent of final grades for high school students (with some exemptions). Teachers would also be required to use ministry-approved educational resources to standardize instruction across the province.

Critics say the changes weaken local representation and reduce avenues for parent advocacy, particularly for marginalized students. Under provincial supervision, recent decisions like the cuts to international language programs at the Toronto Catholic board and reductions in full-time teaching positions at the TDSB were made without the public input and debate that typically comes with trustee-led governance.

The new legislation does not specify if or when suspended trustees in boards under provincial control will have their powers restored.