What Hamilton voters need to know about school board trustees

Hamilton trustees oversee budgets worth millions of dollars. They decide where to build and close schools. And they can stand up against provincial decisions - such as lifting masking requirements - they feel aren't in students' best interest.

Trustees decisions directly affect more than 80,000 Hamilton students and their families. Their boards are funded by taxpayers, a portion of which comes from local property taxes.

Yet, voters pay little attention to trustee elections. In 2018, 38 per cent of Hamiltonians cast a ballot in the municipal election.

Here's what voters need to know ahead of the Oct. 24 election:

Who are school board trustees?

According to the Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC), trustees are locally elected representatives of the public" - the only one focused specifically on kids.

They are also the oldest form of elected representation in Ontario.

They are the community's advocate for public education," the organization said on its website.

What do they do?

Former deputy minister of education Charles Pascal says three key roles of trustees are to contribute to the overall direction of the board," listen to constituents, and be a buffer" between boards and the provincial government.

The main role of a trustee is (to) bring your ideas to the table, but work with other trustees to create something larger than the sum of their own individual contributions," he said.

Functions of a school board include:

• Establishing a multi-year strategic plan;

• Setting student achievement goals;

• Monitoring progress;

• Promoting community involvement and establish communication;

• Hiring and holding accountable the director of education;

• Overseeing use of resources, including passing an annual budget;

Trustees should focus on student achievement, well-being and equity" and, as a board, make decisions that benefit the board's entire jurisdiction while representing the interests of their constituents," according to the OESC.

Trustees and experts say this can be challenging.

The unique responsibility facing trustees is that much of the work presents very difficult contradictions," said longtime public board trustee Ray Mulholland in an email to The Spectator. The key to managing these challenges is to develop a sense of internal balance."

Mulholland, who has been a trustee for nearly 50 years, is seeking re-election in Ward 4, west of the Red Hill Valley Parkway.

Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB) chair Pat Daly, who has held the position for three decades, said school consolidation is an example of this tension.

Rarely do parents, students want to see their school closed or consolidated with another school," he said.

But it's also in the best interest of the system" to have effective and efficient" facilities, and sometimes there's a need to consolidate, Daly said.

Ultimately, trustees are a team.

Only the team ... not an individual trustee, has the authority to make decisions or take action on behalf of a school board," the OESC says.

Pascal, a professor at the University of Toronto, said decision-making should always centre on what's best for the success and the health and well-being of the students."

When it's done well, you have you have a board that's got clear policies," he said. When the role is not played, you have a bunch of lone rangers at each other's throats."

Who are they accountable to?

School board trustees are accountable to Ontario government, their electorate and to themselves, the OESC says.

Boards, which implement provincial policy and allocate provincial funds, answer to the Ministry of Education. They are also elected officials who must consult with parents, students and supporters" and relay community concerns.

Trustees must also comply with the board's code of conduct, determined locally by school boards, to govern trustee behaviour. The province does not have the authority to sanction or remove the elected officials.

The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board's (HWDSB) code of conduct was reviewed in 2020 after allegations of racist behaviour by several trustees prompted a third-party investigation. Two trustees who were found to have breached the code of conduct, Carole Paikin Miller and Alex Johnstone, were sanctioned by their colleagues. Paikin Miller was also asked to resign.

In the wake of the scandal, the Ministry of Education launched consultations on strengthening trustee accountability last year.

How much do they get paid?

Ontario trustees are paid an honorarium - with limits between $7,500 and $29,500 - an amount related to the school board's enrolment, an amount payable to the trustee for attendance at meetings, and a distance amount in the case of boards covering large areas," the OESC says.

Chairs and vice-chairs, who have additional responsibilities, are paid more.

In Hamilton, trustee honorariums range from $5,900 to $18,169:

HWDSB:

• Chair: $10,900

• Vice-chair: $8,400

• Trustee: $5,900

HWCDSB (as of 2018):

• Chair: $18,169

• Vice-chair: $14,926

• Trustee: $11,682

Why do we need trustees?

Former HWDSB trustee Judith Bishop said that local governance is essential to a functioning school system.

It's important at the community level," she said.

Though much of the budget is determined by regulation and collective agreements, local allocation is tremendously important to make a difference," Bishop said.

She gave an example of the types of decisions trustees weigh: Do you put money into special-ed systems or do you spend it on computers?"

But the 30-year trustee also believes it can be improved.

If done well, it can be an onerous job" with low pay. She said it might be useful to have an independent parent ombudsman designated specifically to advocate for students and help families navigate the system.

Pascal, the former deputy education minister, said he's worried about the quality of school board governance."

School board trustees are in for life, if they so desire and they keep getting re-elected - that's a problem," he said, adding that they should have term limits like other elected officials.

He feels the province should start looking for alternatives approaches," such as an education commission. In 2018, Nova Scotia scrapped elected school boards in favour of school-level advisory councils.

I'm quite worried about the quality of school board governance," Pascal said.

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com