Pasma slams school board budget changes as power grab

OTTAWA — NDP Shadow Minister for Education Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West—Nepean) released the following statement after a new process under the Minister of Education’s new Education Act gave uncontested power to unelected CEOs:

“Once again, Minister Calandra is using his role to silence community and parent voices in our education systems,” said MPP Pasma. “This regulation strips away meaningful democratic oversight of school board budgets and concentrates power in the hands of a single unelected administrator.

“Trustees are elected by their communities to make decisions about local schools, yet this process allows a CEO to ignore board recommendations and proceed with their own budget regardless.

“Doug Ford’s Minister of Education is sidelining elected representatives, reducing transparency, and making it harder for parents, students, and communities to have a real voice in decisions that affect public education.”