Catholic school board shares plan to avoid ministerial supervision

After the Ministry of Education threatened to place the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) under provincial supervision, the board says it’s “on track” to eliminate its deficit within the government’s timelines.

“It will take time to complete this work,” Interim Director Jennifer Sarna said in a joint statement with Chair Maria Iafrate. “But we already have a financial recovery plan that our CFO is confident that it will meet the government’s timelines, including contingencies to mitigate risks.”

The board of trustees and senior team held a special board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10 to share their response to Minister of Education Paul Calandra’s concerns. On January 28, he gave the board two weeks to come up with ways to address financial concerns and leadership dysfunction.

Calandra, the Markham-Stouffville MPP, expressed concern that the YCDSB had “an alarming revolving door in leadership,” with seven directors in the past nine years. He also expressed concern about trustees’ lack of knowledge about their jobs and continued infighting.

“Yes, we’ve had turnover in the Director of Education position,” Iafrate acknowledged. But Sarna offers “stable, experienced leadership,” she assured. “She brings nearly 35 years of service to this Board. She knows our system. She was already leading our Multi-Year Strategic Plan and our policy process. She has the confidence of trustees, the trust of staff and the experience needed to guide the YCDSB back to a balanced budget.”

Iafrate also said the board is addressing the Minister’s concerns about governance “head-on” and that trustees “are committed to completing additional governance training before the end June” so they can best serve their school communities. Sarna also noted that the YCDSB “remains one of the top performing school boards in Ontario. We are providing students with the foundation they need for the jobs of the future.”

Photo: Paul Calandra, the Markham-Stouffville MPP, expressed concern that the YCDSB had “an alarming revolving door in leadership,” with seven directors in the past nine years.