Education Minister Under Fire for Wasteful Spending Amid Criticism

Education Minister Paul Calandra is facing mounting criticism over his spending practices, which some trustees claim are hypocritical given his recent accusations against school boards for mismanaging funds. Since the start of 2023, trustees have pointed to expenditures that they argue represent a misuse of public money, including lavish events that could have funded classroom needs.

Trustees from various school boards, speaking to CityNews, highlighted that Calandra has allocated funds for items such as $2,223 on pancake breakfasts and $11,863 for expenses related to a Santa Claus parade. The most controversial expense appears to be a $23,000 community barbecue, an event that Calandra hosts annually. Maria Rizzo, a trustee for the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), expressed her disapproval, stating, “I do think he’s hypocritical. He shouldn’t have had it when he’s going after school trustees and their expenses.”

In addition to these events, Calandra’s office has incurred a $5,753 expense for hotel stays in Toronto, despite the minister residing in Markham, approximately a 30-minute drive from the city. His office defended the spending, stating that Calandra occasionally needs to stay overnight during late-night legislative sessions as he lives just outside the threshold for the Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) housing benefit.

Calandra’s press secretary emphasized that community events like the Strawberry Festival Pancake Breakfast and the annual community barbecue are longstanding traditions in Stouffville and are open to all residents. The spokesperson further differentiated these events from what they termed as personal expenses incurred by some trustees, citing examples such as receipts for Apple TV subscriptions and casino meals.

The tensions between Calandra and the school boards have escalated, particularly as he has already stripped powers from trustees at five Ontario school boards, replacing them with government-appointed supervisors. He has hinted at the possibility of eliminating the trustee role entirely by the end of the year, prompting TCDSB trustees to explore legal actions to challenge his decisions. Rizzo stated, “He should be ashamed of what he is doing to democratically elected people.”

In a related development, one of the appointed supervisors for the Toronto District School Board, Rohit Gupta, is facing backlash for increasing class sizes in programs catering to students with disabilities. Critics, including the New Democratic Party (NDP), argue that this decision contradicts prior votes by trustees against such measures and will exacerbate existing issues with waitlists for support services.

Chandra Pasma and Alexa Gilmour, both Members of Provincial Parliament, criticized the move, stating, “Cutting corners in our schools will only make classrooms more unsafe for teachers and students with disabilities.” They assert that the solution lies in increased funding to hire and train more teachers, rather than opting for measures that could lead to greater chaos in classrooms.

As tensions continue to rise between the government and school trustees, the implications of these spending decisions and policy changes are likely to resonate throughout Ontario’s education system. CityNews has reached out to Gupta for further comments but has yet to receive a response.