A major win for Community Schools Alliance – Learn more at the ROMA Conference

Advocacy pays off for Community Schools Alliance

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Since 2009, the Community Schools Alliance (CSA) has been working hard to help keep small rural and northern schools open in their respective communities, and to call on the province for a better system to decide when and where we build and close schools.

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CSA and its partners successfully advocated for a provincial moratorium on school closures in 2017. While the moratorium still stands, the threat of school closure looms with every provincial election.

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In December, the CSA was encouraged and reassured when the Minister of Education said there is “zero chance” the moratorium will be lifted for schools in rural communities under his leadership. This is excellent news for rural Ontario, and a testament to the power of working together with the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

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Minister Calandra’s statement was in response to a letter sent to him by ROMA in December, urging him to protect rural schools, and reminding him that rural school closures hurt students and greatly impact quality of life for all residents in rural communities.

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Much to our relief, the Minister agreed.

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There’s still more the Community Schools Alliance can do to secure the future of rural schools. In fact, it is more important than ever to hold the provincial government and the Minister of Education to their word. It is our commitment to the municipalities we have worked with for almost two decades.

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Interested in joining us? Learn how: Join Us | Community School All

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See you at the 2026 ROMA Conference

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Attending the 2026 ROMA Conference? Stop by our booth, No. 142, during tradeshow hours on Sunday, January 18 and Monday, January 19.

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Learn about our mandate, our recent work, and how you can get involved. We’d be happy to see you!