MINISTRY SUPERVISOR/min. of education

As of July, 2025, the TCDSB was placed under supervision by the Ministry of Education - citing concerns about financial management by the Board.  Since 2018, the Ford government has cut school board budgets by $6.3 billion in Ontario, so it's no surprise that the largest Catholic board in the province is experiencing financial difficulties as it tries to meet the needs of students. The fact that the source of these issues is the Ministry itself, seems to have escaped their notice.

Mr. Frank Benedetto, a longtime personal injury insurance lawyer and PC Party donor has been appointed as the TCDSB’s Supervisor. 

His role is to provide "oversight and support to the Board" - but, as he not an educator, nor does he consult with, or advocating on behalf of, students, families or schools, exactly what is Mr Benedetto doing  other than taking a undisclosed salary that is likely larger than the combined salaries of the 12 elected trustees?

It's clear that the Ford government, by getting rid of locally-elected trustees, is seeking to remove any kind of public accountability, as well as the local voice. This allows the Ministry to continue to make cuts to education and treat our schools like pieces in a real estate game, without the bother of having to listen to impacted families, students and schools.

As Mr Benedetto doesn't reply to emails at the TCDSB, the best way to reach him is by emailing  fbenedetto@fmlaw.ca. 

1. Administer the provincial statutes and regulations - principally the Education Act

2. Set policies and guidelines for school trustees (e.g. Code of Conduct), directors of education, principals and other school board officials, and students (e.g. online learning requirements).

3. Determine the funds that school boards receive. School boards have NO direct access to property taxes - they haven't since 1998. About 30% of the funding comes from property taxes and the remaining 70% comes from different provincial grants. Funding is based largely on the number of students at a given school board. It is not based on where, or whether, voters direct their 'support' School board grants include:

• Grants for Student Needs - it's determined based on the number of students in a given school board. It's incorrectly names as it hasn't met student needs for decades - hence parent fundraising and teacher purchases.
• Special Education Grants -  there seems to be no clear link between funding and actual student numbers and student need; hence the need for the TCDSB to spend about $20M more annually than funded and STILL the needs of students with special learning needs are not fully met.
• Transportation - the TCDSB and TDSB share buses and transportation is managed with joint representation on the Toronto Student Transportation Group. The TCDSB has spent millions more annually than its funded for decades. 
• Building Maintenance (the 'Renewal' fund) - the TCDSB's building maintenance backlog is closing in on $1billion - hence the current state of disrepair of many TCDSB schools.
• Learning Opportunity Grant - "provides funding for a range of programs to
  help students who are at greater risk of poor academic achievement (based on income, parental education levels, newcomers to Canada), including providing
  supports for de-streaming as well as learning recovery programming." Sadly the Ministry only funds their programs, so the TCDSB cannot use these funds for proven programs like Fifth Block because it was developed by the TCDSB....and not the Ministry.
• Mental Health & Well Being Grant
• English as a Second Language Grant - the Ministry website actually states that " The calculations are NOT intended to count every student who requires support or to determine individual needs for these programs. School boards determine how to use this funding and to provide language services and supports accordingly "
• Indigenous Education Grant

4. Approve capital funding of new schools, day cares, extensions, gyms and other one-time capital funding requests made via business cases developed by board staff.

5. Develop course curriculum.

6. Centrally-bargains education-related contracts (which are not fully funded by the Ministry, so millions must be found by the TCDSB annually to make up the short fall - as overspend is in the classroom, that's where the funds are generally found).

7. Determine pay scales for board administration and leadership not part of a union - including the Director of Education

8. Set requirements for student diplomas and certificates

9 Approve textbooks and other learning materials, and teacher resources for kindergarten to Grade 12.

10.  Develop policy and programs to support child care and early years programs. 

11.  Oversee and set policies for the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), which administers  standard provincial tests in reading, writing and math. 

Visit the Ministry website for more information.

You can advocate with the Minister and Ministry directly::

Ministry of Education, Mowat Block, 900 Bay St., Toronto, ON M7A 1L2  

Minister and senior political staff phone and email contacts

Twitter (the Ministry): @ONeducation

Twitter (Minister Stephen Lecce):  @Sflecce 

Facebook: @OntarioMinistryofEducation