School Board Takeover Tracker

For families with autistic children, school boards are not an abstract governance structure. School boards control Special Education Advisory Committees (SEACs), IPRC processes that determine what supports a child receives, and the allocation of special education funding, including any coordination with Ontario Autism Program services.

When a school board is placed under provincial supervision, elected trustees lose decision-making authority. A supervisor appointed by the Minister of Education assumes control. That supervisor is not elected, is not subject to the same accountability mechanisms as trustees, and answers to the Ministry, not to the communities whose children attend those schools.

The eight boards currently under supervision collectively serve hundreds of thousands of students, including a significant population of autistic children relying on school-based supports. No mechanism exists requiring the province to consult autism or disability advocacy organizations before exercising supervision powers or altering special education programs.

This tracker is updated as new developments occur. For the full legislative analysis and board-by-board breakdown, see the School Board Takeovers investigation.