Trustees with the Bluewater District School Board are speaking out about a potential provincial plan to eliminate English public school trustees in Ontario.
At the board’s February 17, 2026 meeting, trustees approved two motions directing letters to Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dubé and Education Minister Paul Calandra.
In the letter to the Ombudsman, the board supports a request by the Waterloo Region District School Board for a review of the potential impacts of changing the current governance model. Trustees are asking for an examination of how removing elected English public trustees could affect fairness, openness, transparency, and accountability.
Among the concerns raised are questions of equity, including the potential loss of Indigenous representation and the elimination of student trustees — currently the only legislated voice for students in Ontario’s English public school system. Trustees also point to the absence of formal public consultation and recent polling suggesting skepticism about whether the proposed changes would improve public education.
In a separate letter to the Minister of Education, trustees are calling for a formal province-wide consultation process before any decision is made. They say the process should include input from students, parents, staff and community members, along with a research-based discussion of the potential benefits and drawbacks of the proposal.
Vice-Chair Jan Johnstone says eliminating English public school trustees should concern parents and community members, noting trustees are one of the oldest forms of democratically elected representation in Ontario and serve as a vital link between families and school boards.
Board Chair Jane Thomson adds that without locally elected trustees, communities could lose meaningful advocacy and local decision-making power — particularly for vulnerable students and those with special education needs.