The ongoing dispute between the Ford government and school board trustees takes a surprising turn as Education Minister Paul Calandra’s spending habits come under scrutiny. While Calandra has been criticizing school boards for alleged financial mismanagement, trustees are now questioning his own use of public funds.
CityNews has learned that trustees are raising concerns about Calandra’s expenses, including lavish events like pancake breakfasts costing $2,223, Santa Claus parade expenses totaling $11,863, and a community barbecue that set taxpayers back $23,000. Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) trustee Maria Rizzo has accused Calandra of hypocrisy, particularly for hosting the expensive barbecue while targeting trustees for their spending.
In addition to these events, Calandra has also incurred $5,753 in Toronto hotel stays, despite living just 30 minutes away in Markham. The Education Minister’s office defends these expenses, stating that Calandra occasionally stays in Toronto hotels due to late-night sittings at the Legislature and being close to the MPP housing benefit threshold.
Amidst this controversy, Calandra has stripped trustee powers at five Ontario school boards, replacing them with government-appointed supervisors. TCDSB trustees are considering legal action to challenge these actions, condemning the undermining of democratically elected officials.
Meanwhile, criticism has been directed at Rohit Gupta, a supervisor overseeing the Toronto District School Board, for increasing class sizes in programs for students with disabilities against trustees’ prior decisions. The NDP has denounced Gupta’s move, warning that larger class sizes could jeopardize the safety and education of students with disabilities.