Cardinal Leo Placed on Alert re Catholic Schools
TORONTO – It’s the festive summer season and people are off to “refresh and restart” their lives. The Ministry of Education is doing no less as it sets remake and reimagine its role in the evolving economic and political world of today. Its immediate “boss”, the Hon. Paul Calandra, seems to be methodical and determined “make things right” by tax-paying parents and their children.
After receiving Reports from third-party investigators, deliberating on the content, he sought and received a ‘vesting order’ from The Executive Council to wrest control and administration of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and exercise both in the Ministry via supervisor.
The Corriere Canadese obtained a copy of a letter from the Minister to the Board. Mr. Calandra’s frustration with the Board was clear in his letter to the Chair, copied to the Director, wherein he expressed lack of confidence (our words) in the decision-making ability of Staff and Trustees: “Between 2021-22 and 2024-25, insufficient cost saving measures were proposed by staff [through the Director] to eliminate their in-year deficits. In addition, the Board’s financial position worsened between estimates and financial statements in each of the last three years.” (emphasis added). Trust may be a factor.
All things considered, despite the “positive spin” staff tried to put on the executive summary Deloitte LLP provided in its 58-page report, “the investigator recommended that supervision was warranted”. Contrary to staff and trustees’ wishful thinking, the Report did not exonerate the skills and behaviour of [our] board]. The Director’s office advised trustees that “all board meetings are cancelled while under supervision”.
The Chair met with Minister Calandra on July 2 and advised trustees that he tried to raise two issues: (1) once the Supervisor gets a handle on the issues that Trustees should be returned to their duties and compensation, and (2) in the matter of “denominational rights” there is room for interpretation. There is not really. It may be for a longer discussion, but the Constitution Act is pretty specific about why Catholic [denominational] schools are what they are [supposed to be].
Cardinal Leo, who represents the magisterium – the voice of Catholicism and its teachings – in Ontario is the ultimate authority that determines whether “schools” or organization of school (i.e.., Boards) are Catholic. Trustees swear yearly to be loyal and true to the “denominational” nature as “approved” by the authority vested in him.
Minister Calandra would have an appreciation of what that means: if Catholic rites, ethos and rituals are not present, the schools are not Catholic. That is a challenge His Eminence, Cardinal Leo must address. For his part, Minister Calandra clearly places “the ball in the Cardinal’s court”.
Here is the closing paragraph of Minister Calandra’s letter: In accordance with section 257.52 of the Education Act, the supervisor will not interfere with denominational matters and non-denominational matters required to maintain denominational Character. The supervisor has been instructed to refer such matters to the Board of trustees for decision.”
If they come up and have not been resolved by the Cardinal.
