On June 27, 2025, the Ontario government placed the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) under provincial supervision and appointed Rohit Gupta as Supervisor. Control over the Board’s administration and decision-making was vested in the Ministry of Education. The TDSB was also reorganized from 22 wards into 12. The new Ward 7 brings together communities previously represented by University–Rosedale, Toronto–St. Paul’s, and Toronto Centre. Ward 7 is a large and diverse community, with approximately 271,628 residents, 53 schools, and 17,427 TDSB students. This creates a significant responsibility for the trustee to ensure that students, families, educators, and communities have a strong voice in TDSB decisions.

Under provincial supervision, Supervisor Rohit Gupta changed class-size policies, including removing class-size caps for Grades 4–8 and increasing the limit in diagnostic kindergarten special education classrooms from 8 to 10 students. The TDSB trustee role is also undergoing significant structural change. The Board has been reduced from 22 wards to 12 and remains under provincial supervision. With the current governance structure, trustees have a substantially reduced role in Board policy and decision-making. These changes make effective representation, accountability, and advocacy more important than ever.

As the role of elected trustees has changed, Ward 7 needs strong representation and effective advocacy. What can a trustee accomplish? A trustee can listen to families, advocate for students and staff, raise concerns about school safety, support strong programs, ask difficult questions, and hold the system accountable. At a time of significant change in public education, Ward 7 needs competent leadership that can represent local priorities, work constructively with the provincial government, and help rebuild trust in public education.

Ward 7 families want their schools to work well for their children. They want safe schools, strong student achievement and accountable leadership. As your Ward 7 Trustee, I will focus on practical issues that directly affect students and families, not partisan labels or left-versus-right politics. My priorities will be school safety, student achievement, transparency, and public accountability. I will work constructively with parents, educators, staff, the TDSB, and the provincial government to deliver results for our schools.

Ward 7 includes many of the TDSB’s downtown schools and a diverse range of communities. While our neighbourhoods are distinct, we share the same school board and many of the same challenges. I will focus on the issues that matter to students and families every day: school capacity, mental health supports, special education, access to programs, school safety, and family supports. University–Rosedale, Toronto–St. Paul’s, and Toronto Centre each have their own needs and priorities. At the same time, we share a common goal: strong schools where every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed. We need strong neighbourhood schools, meaningful support for families, and a TDSB Trustee that is accountable to the communities it serves.