--- title: "OCDSB trustees elected in October face strict limits from provincial supervisor's memo" description: "A memo from the board's provincial supervisor tells Ottawa's newly elected OCDSB trustees they cannot enter schools, communicate with principals, sit on committees, or send newsletters to residents." canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/ocdsb-trustees-supervisor-memo-restrictions-november-2026" last_updated: "2026-11-11T19:19:42.438Z" --- Ottawa residents voted on October 26 to fill all 12 seats on the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Within two weeks, the board's provincial supervisor sent the newly elected trustees a memo laying out what they are not allowed to do. The list covers most of the activities that brought them to the race in the first place. ## What the memo says arabcanadanews.ca reported on November 10, 2026 that the OCDSB's provincial supervisor, Robert Plamondon, sent the memo to newly elected trustees before their oath on November 16. It bars them from: - Entering schools or attending school events in an official capacity - Communicating directly with principals or staff in their elected role - Participating in board committees - Sending official newsletters or updates to residents The memo gives trustees one permitted task: they may refer a parent's inquiry to the board's chief executive officer, confirming they received the message but providing no substantive response themselves. Robert Plamondon was appointed OCDSB supervisor by Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra on June 27, 2025. Under supervision, Plamondon holds the decision-making authority that the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 would normally give to elected trustees. The province placed eight English-language Ontario school boards under supervision from April 2025 onward, citing financial management and governance concerns. The OCDSB came under supervision after four straight deficit budgets. Its 2026-27 budget projects a $3.5 million deficit, down from an avoided $18.5 million shortfall, arabcanadanews.ca reported. The province has linked restoring trustee powers to the board achieving financial stability and sustainable budgets. No minister has announced a date for lifting the supervision, and no specific timeline has been published, arabcanadanews.ca reported. ## A grey area for newly elected trustees [Hilary Clauson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/hilary-clauson), elected trustee for OCDSB Zone 9, told arabcanadanews.ca she expected to keep a role in listening to parents, advocating for school needs and taking part in community activities. The memo left her uncertain whether she can continue on a parent council she was part of before her election, because the memo does not state clearly what informal contact is permitted, arabcanadanews.ca reported. [Emily Quaile](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/emily-quaile), elected trustee for Zone 4 (Bay and Kitchissippi), raised concerns about limits on informal communication with residents who voted for her, arabcanadanews.ca reported. She said she plans to continue learning about community needs while waiting for the supervision to end and trustee powers to be restored. ## What the elected trustees promised The supervision was a central issue in this year's OCDSB race. Clauson's campaign platform committed to working with the provincial government to restore the mandate of democratically elected trustees. Quaile's platform called for supervision to end and for trustees to be restored, and stated in her campaign that trusteeship must mean something. [Cathy Varrette](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/cathy-varrette), elected for Zone 12 (Beacon Hill-Cyrville/Orléans West-Innes), co-organized a shared statement from eight OCDSB candidates calling for an immediate end to the supervision, and campaigned on starting to speak for Zone 12 families from her first day in office. [Brenda Abramson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/brenda-abramson), elected for Zone 11, committed to pushing for elected trustees to be restored, citing her view that a working board governs better than a supervisor. Each of these promises is recorded on the voche.me promise tracker. ## When the oath happens, and what it changes The term for all elected municipal officials in Ontario begins November 15, 2026, under section 6 (1) of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996. OCDSB trustees are scheduled to take their oath of allegiance on November 16. Taking the oath subjects them to the board's code of conduct. It does not restore their governance powers. The oath and the supervision are separate legal matters. Plamondon continues to hold full authority over board decisions until the province decides to lift the supervision. Under section 230 of the Municipal Act, 2001, the new Ottawa City Council must hold its first meeting by December 16, 2026; a similar deadline applies to school boards under provincial law. But for the OCDSB, the supervisor's authority remains in place regardless of when trustees are sworn in. ## What residents can do Residents can reach out to their trustee, who must pass the message to the board's CEO under the terms of the memo. The trustee may confirm receipt but cannot give a substantive response. Trustee pages on this site list each person's campaign promises and will record their actions once the supervision ends and the board holds its own votes. Parents with active concerns about a school or program can contact the board's main office directly. The OCDSB posts meeting agendas and any public board minutes at ocdsb.ca, where Plamondon's decisions as supervisor are recorded. Residents who voted for OCDSB trustees on October 26 can follow what their trustee promised at [the Ottawa promise tracker](/on/ottawa-2026/tracker), including pages for [Hilary Clauson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/hilary-clauson), [Emily Quaile](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/emily-quaile), [Cathy Varrette](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/cathy-varrette) and [Brenda Abramson](/on/ottawa-2026/candidates/brenda-abramson). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/on/ottawa-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.