Paula Fletcher - School Trustee

School Trustee

In 2000, she was elected as a trustee for Ward 15 in the Toronto District School Board. During her time on the board, she was active in fighting the cutbacks of the Mike Harris and Ernie Eves Progressive Conservative governments and was able to prevent two school closures in her area. One of them was Bruce Junior Public School, which Fletcher helped save by housing a new facility there for childhood learning and development centre for families.

In 2002, the provincial government appointed Paul Christie as supervisor for the school board since the trustees had refused to submit a balanced budget. During this period, Christie had the power to overrule any decisions made by the trustees. Although trustees continued to meet in what was at most an advisory role, frustrations with their situation often led to confrontation. During a meeting in January 2003, Fletcher and school board director David Reid exchanged words in a heated debate. Reid accused Fletcher of misleading the meeting over a series of questions she said had not been addressed by staff.