Jessica Bell MPP, University–Rosedale

Dear neighbour,

This week, I invited parents to Queen’s Park for a press conference to sound the alarm on the Conservatives’ plan to cut $900M more from the education ministry. 

Yes, you read that right. $900M. After cutting $6.3B from our schools since 2018, the Conservatives are planning to cut $900M more.

Parents from schools from the TDSB and the TCDSB spoke about the impact of the cuts on their children and their school. The increase in class sizes at Beverley. The lifting of class caps in grades 4 to 8. The loss of special education classes at St Matthews. The threat to close Heydon Park and Eastdale. The teacher layoffs. Increased violence in the classroom.

And now, the government’s latest budget cuts another $900 million from education. Come September, if these cuts go ahead, all of the problems we are seeing are going to go from bad to worse.

Every child should be given the opportunity to learn in a safe and welcoming public school. That will only happen if this government reverses these cuts and starts reinvesting in our schools. 

Here’s what you can do to take action.

Sign the petition to reverse the cuts here.

Join us at our town hall on Tuesday, May 5 at 7pm. RSVP to save the date here or in the button below.  

Sincerely,

Jessica Bell
MPP, University-Rosedale

In this newsletter:

• What’s in Bill 101 and what it means for our schools
• Ford moves to take control of Billy Bishop Airport
• Bill to protect seniors in care homes voted down
• The budget is set to bury Ontario deeper in debt
• Join the Toronto Tenant Union founding convention
• PARA Spring Clean-Up Day
• Harbord Village Spring Clean-Up
• FoodFit programs for newcomers

What’s in Bill 101 and what it means for our schools

On Monday, April 13, the government introduced Bill 101, the Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026. This bill makes major changes to how school boards are governed and how decisions are made.

A big part of the bill is shifting power away from elected trustees and toward the Minister of Education and newly created senior administration positions at the school board level. 

The bill caps the number of trustees to a maximum of 12. The Toronto District School Board currently has 22 trustees, so it would be required to cut nearly half its elected representatives.Those trustees remain suspended while the board is under provincial supervision, though the province has said a fall election will still take place.

Trustee honorariums will also be capped at $10,000, and their role in budget decisions is being significantly reduced. Trustees will be able to vote yes or no on the budget, but they cannot amend it. 

With less power, less pay, and more students per trustee, it begs the question: who will run to be a school board trustee? The Minister has an answer for that — he will be able to appoint school board trustees.

The bill restructures leadership at school boards. Directors of Education will become Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), responsible for financial and operational management. The CEO will have significant control over board decisions. The CEO must have business qualifications.

The bill also introduces a Chief Education Officer (CEdO), focused on student achievement and learning outcomes. This role requires an education background. The CEO and CEdO can be the same person if they meet both sets of qualifications.

The bill gives the Education Minister broad new powers to approve school board budgets, override board decisions, determine how grades are calculated, and set rules around classroom materials and communications. It also introduces new rules for students in Grades 9 to 12, including mandatory exams and requirements for attendance and participation to count for 10 to 15 percent of final grades.

There are also new provisions that protect the Minister and government officials from legal action for decisions made under the Act.

The government says this is about improving accountability and student achievement. But this bill is really about control. It centralizes decision-making at Queen’s Park and reduces the role of locally elected trustees, parents, and communities.

With less influence over the school board, parents and students will have less say over the state of education.  

We will continue to pressure the government to return school board trustees, reduce class sizes and hire more qualified and caring educators. 

Bill 101 has been referred to committee. The hearings will take place Monday, April 27, 10:00am–12:00pm and 1:00pm–5:00pm. You can send written submissions or register to speak to the bill. Sign up here. When applying, select Bill 101.

Deadlines 

• Deadline to request to appear at hearings: Wednesday, April 22 at 4:00pm
• Deadline for written submissions: Monday, April 27 at 6:00pm

We are hosting an education town hall on this issue and the school budget cuts. RSVP here or in the button below.  

Ford moves to take control of Billy Bishop Airport

On March 23, 2026, Premier Ford announced his plan to take over the City of Toronto’s role in the agreement that governs Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, and to take ownership of city-owned land at the airport. Ford said he intends to designate the site as a Special Economic Zone to speed up approvals. 

Billy Bishop is governed by a tripartite agreement between the City of Toronto, the federal government, and the Toronto Port Authority.

Ford has been clear that he wants the province to have direct control over the future of the site including plans to expand the airport, allow jet aircraft, and increase capacity on Toronto’s waterfront.

While the federal government would still have say over key decisions including whether jets are allowed, they have already signalled they are open to it. Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon recently said the government supports modernizing the arrangements at the airport.

Expanding the airport to allow jets would bring more noise, more air pollution, and more traffic to already dense neighbourhoods. It could also put thousands of planned homes at risk, including much-needed affordable housing. Expanding flight paths over the Port Lands could restrict building heights and undermine housing plans on land where all three levels of government have already invested heavily.

There is pushback. Toronto City Council is exploring legal options, and residents and community groups like No Jets TO are organizing to oppose the expansion.

This fits a broader pattern we’ve seen from this government — taking power away from municipalities and local communities and concentrating it at Queen’s Park. We’ve seen it with school board takeovers, with plans to consolidate conservation authorities from 36 to nine, and with Special Economic Zones that allow the province to override local rules and push projects through with less oversight.

Local governments and communities deserve a say in what gets built in their neighbourhoods. And we need to be making decisions that support housing, livability, and the long-term future of our city.

My colleague MPP Chris Glover is hosting a Waterfront town hall to talk about what all this could mean for our community, joined by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik. I hope to see you there.

Monday, April 20
7-9pm
East Bayfront Community Centre, 261 Queens Quay E

RSVP here or in the button below. 

You can also take action by signing our petition here.