February 20, 2026
Dear Honorable Minister Calandra,
As parents of children in Ontario’s Catholic education system, we are writing to ensure you are aware of the important work of the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education (OAPCE). For 87 years, OAPCE has brought together parents from every corner of the province, supporting families as they navigate the education system in the best interests of our children.
Under the Ontario Education Act and Ontario Regulation 612/00, School Councils are established “through the active participation of parents, to improve pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents” (s. 2(1)). Regulation 612/00 further prescribes the composition of School Councils. Section 3(1)8 specifically provides that a School Council shall include “one person appointed by an association that is a member of… the Ontario Association of Parents in Catholic Education…, if the association … is established in respect of the school.” This clause explicitly recognizes OAPCE within the legislative framework governing Catholic School Councils in Ontario and establishes a structural link between local councils and the provincial Catholic parent association.
OAPCE provides a strong and unified parent voice at the provincial level, while also equipping parents locally with the tools and knowledge needed to engage meaningfully in their children’s schools. They help us better understand school governance, board structures, and policies that directly impact our families. Most importantly, OAPCE offers timely information, practical guidance, and support when questions or concerns arise regarding our children’s education. In what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming system, OAPCE ensures that parents are not navigating it alone.
At its heart, OAPCE is about connection—parents supporting parents. It is this spirit of collaboration and shared commitment to Catholic education that continues to unite and strengthen us across the province.
In past years, OAPCE enjoyed a close working relationship with your predecessor, Minister Lecce, and his office. Minister Lecce actively engaged OAPCE in a number of Government working groups, including PPM 128, the Cellphone and Vaping Ban in Ontario’s schools. OAPCE also presented at the Bill 98 Committee in support of the government bill. OAPCE kept us informed of these important initiatives and their potential impacts on our children.
We hope those appointed by your office to supervise school boards, have an understanding of OAPCE as a not-for-profit parent support association removed from any governance issues. OAPCE has expressed a commitment to work with the Government to explore different funding models to advance its mandate to engage parents if that becomes an issue.
With the province’s new direction toward restoring accountability, OAPCE has advised many of us in regions (some currently under supervision) that membership fees have been discontinued. When membership fees are discontinued and OAPCE is no longer “established in respect of the school,” the provision in Section 3(1)8 of Regulation 612/00 cannot be realized in practice. As a result, parents in some of the largest school boards are now without the provincial representation contemplated within the regulatory framework.
As a result, parents in some of the largest school boards are now without independent and unbiased provincial representation. This development is deeply concerning, as it limits our ability to ensure that the parent voice remains present, informed, and engaged at both the board and provincial levels.
In 2026, as parents of children in Ontario’s Catholic education system, we respectfully hope we can count on you and your Ministry to continue supporting parental choice. Specifically, we ask that school boards remit membership fees to the association that has faithfully represented and amplified the parent voice for the past 87 years—particularly in cases where some boards have chosen not to do so. Remitting these fees would allow OAPCE to remain established in respect of schools across the province and would uphold the intent of the Education Act and Regulation 612/00 regarding structured parent involvement.
Ensuring this support would help preserve meaningful parent representation and uphold the longstanding partnership between families, schools, and the broader Catholic education community. Please note that OAPCE is also in the Ministry document “Your child’s education: a parent guide to our school system” in which they are mentioned in “Learn About Provincial Parent Organizations..”.
We ask that you please respond to the requests that OAPCE has sent out to you to discuss this and other pertinent issues that parents voice to them. We are confident in the advocacy work that they have done, and continue to do, for parents in Catholic Education.
We pray for a renewed positive and open working relationship between your office and OAPCE.
Yours Truly,
Ontario’s Parents of Children in Catholic Education.