Why have municipally elected school boards been in the news recently?

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You may have read or seen that school boards have been uncharacteristically featured in news reporting over the past 12 months. Like many, you may be asking why?

Although the reporting may suggest otherwise, it is important to note that Ontario is not taking over municipal governments or eliminating school boards across the province. The Ford government has been placing individual school boards under provincial supervision.

As of 2026, this has become a significant expansion of provincial control over municipally elected boards.

Why is the province doing this?

The stated reasons include accountability and financial/governance problems.

Ontario says school boards are responsible for managing their own finances, governance, schools and educational programs, but the Minister of Education has powers to intervene when a board is not managing those responsibilities properly. Recent legislation has expanded those powers. (Ontario, 2026)

But there is a larger issue in play.

Ontario has moved beyond financial supervision. In some cases, the provincial supervisor has substantial authority over the board’s budget, staffing, operations and governance. In addition, the province has indicated that supervision could last for years rather than be a short-term financial intervention. (Global News, 2026)

How can a government takeover of your local school board be avoided?

Don’t ignore the risk. Take proactive measures to mitigate the circumstances that have led to government intervention. This includes:

Make the board’s financial management almost impossible to attack by ensuring that the board has financial literacy and understands both operational and capital pressures.

Demonstrate transparent governance by documenting key decisions and following local and provincial policies. Share board outcomes with the community, local officials, and ministry partners.

Establish a strong partnership with Provincial counterparts by building solid relationships that support the common goal of a fiscally responsible operation that is centred on student success and outcomes.

Take a solution-minded approach. Boards need to monitor risk and work with staff to identify creative approaches to manage budgetary pressures. Build project governance skills to launch and monitor initiatives that address fiscal and operational pressures.

These approaches can help change the board/Ministry relationship:

From a reactive one, where the Ministry discovers a problem and supervises the board, to a proactive one, where the Board identifies a problem, informs the Ministry, and demonstrates corrective action to manage it.

References:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/school-board-oversight

https://globalnews.ca/news/11726020/ontario-school-board-supervision-timeline/

The Mutant and The Mule – The Prairies Book Review

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Visceral, gritty, and propulsive – The Prairies Book Review

An engineered mutant soldier and a bitter, alcoholic wasteworker form an uneasy alliance in Blair’s politically charged dystopian novel. Decades after the Genetic Wars, Cincuenta Yuno functions as both fortress and machine. Helia, a powerful Mutant soldier, goes rogue after a failed mission. Hunted by the Department of Sanitation, she teams up with Ari, a Mule from the city’s underbelly. Their goal: survive Cincuenta Yuno and take on the system that’s crushing them both.

Ari brings grit and vulnerability to the story. She drinks to numb, lashes out to protect herself, but her quiet return to feeling is its own act of courage. Helia, meanwhile, is shaped by loss: her lover Emily, conscripted into forced motherhood, haunts her every step. This subtle but piercing subplot drives home the cost of a society that weaponizes reproduction and erases agency. There are no chosen ones here, no tidy resolutions. Blair builds a world where resistance is messy, alliances are temporary, and survival is uncertain. And yet, there’s hope, not in revolution, but in solidarity, in a single act of one character saving another, in pushing back, inch by inch.

A page-turning, emotionally charged tale of power, suppression, and unexpected connection.

The Mutant and the Mule by A. A. Blair

The Mutant and The Mule – OnlineBookClub.org Review

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★★★ – OnlineBookClub.org Review

The Mutant and The Mule by A. A. Blair follows Helia, a mutant soldier, as she infiltrates the Norm compound of Cincuneta Yuno, a place where mutants are not welcomed and mules are simply tolerated. Not long after her infiltration, Helia met Ari, who saved her life and decided to do everything in her power to help Helia complete her mission. But the mission has bigger and greater threats and surprises than either of them could imagine. Read The Mutant and The Mule to discover what happens to Helia and Ari. 

There are several aspects I love about this book. Blair’s writing style is captivating; it kept me curious about the story from the beginning. The descriptions are vivid, and the language is simple. Helia is a realistic character with flaws, feelings, and a powerful personality. Her relationship with Ari is interesting, as it does not follow the typical patterns of a romance novel. I enjoyed reading that the place where the events unravel is called Cincuenta Yuno, as in Spanish, this means fifty-one (cincuenta y uno). I do not know if the author did this intentionally, but in my mind, he did.  I adored the ending; it left me waiting for more, and I hope the author writes a second part (or more).

The Mutant and The Mule receives the Literary Titan Silver Book Award!

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“The Literary Titan Silver Book Award celebrates the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters.

We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.”

– Literary Titan

“I am honored to receive the Literary Titan Silver Book Award. My sincere thanks to the reviewers and team at Literary Titan for their thoughtful evaluation and support of independent authors.

I’m looking forward to our upcoming launch and sharing Helia’s story with readers.

Thank you for believing in this story and helping it to find its place in the literary world.”

— A. A. Blair

Link to award page: https://literarytitan.com/2025/05/02/…

The Mutant and The Mule – Wellington Advertiser Interview

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Really enjoyed the time spent with Ellouise Thompson at The Wellington Advertiser to discuss my upcoming YA novel “The Mutant and the Mule” published by Histria Books.

I can’t believe we’re less than 2 weeks away!

“Guelph author Aaron Blair is set to release his latest novel The Mutant and the Mule on May 13.

Beyond the cover, Blair’s latest novel dives into an “earthbound dystopian future,” focusing on a time when human beings are evolving and acquiring new abilities.

This evolution creates conflict between what Blair calls “humans 2.0 and 1.0” and a new type of mutant known as the “mule”. “

New release – The cover for A. A. Blair’s new dystopian novel, The Mutant and The Mule.

Read the full interview here:

Guelph author Aaron Blair launches new novel May 13

Cover Reveal for A.A. Blair’s second YA novel: The Mutant and The Mule

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We are thrilled to unveil the cover of The Mutant and The Mule, the highly anticipated YA novel by Canadian author A. A. Blair, set to be published by Histria Books. This gripping sapphic science fantasy adventure, set in a dystopian future, promises to captivate your imagination and keep you on the edge of your seat!

About the Book:
In a world torn apart by genetic evolution, Helia, a fierce Mutant soldier, fights against a society determined to suppress her kind. With her unique powers, she embarks on a dangerous mission that could change the course of history. But when her operation is compromised, Helia finds herself alone and hunted by the ruthless Department of Sanitation.

In a twist of fate, she crosses paths with Ari, a resourceful Mule forced to toil in the city’s darkest depths. Despite their differences, they form an unlikely alliance as they navigate the treacherous streets of Cincuenta Yuno. With the odds stacked against them and the entire city mobilized against their cause,

Helia and Ari must rely on each other to survive.
As they journey deeper into the heart of the conflict, Helia and Ari must defy the odds and forge their own destiny in a world on the brink of destruction. Will they succeed in their quest to tip the balance of power, or will they become casualties in the war for survival?

About the Author:
A. A. Blair is far from a procrastinator. It only took him a couple of short decades to complete a story inspired by the introduction to archaeology course he took as an undergrad. A dystopian adventure, The Mutant and The Mule combines comic book lore with science fantasy loosely based on what Blair learned in class. Imagine, there were some who thought that nothing would ever come of Blair’s introduction to archaeology course!

About Histria Books:
Histria Books is an independent publishing house with offices in Las Vegas and Palm Beach, publishing works of general interest, academic titles, fiction and literature, sports, politics, culture, as well as other subjects. Histria Books is a member of the Independent Book Publisher Association (IBPA), PubWest, and the Independent Publisher’s Caucus. All titles published under the imprints of Histria Books are exclusively distributed worldwide by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG), a top 10 supplier of book content to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores, libraries, and specialty markets, in addition to thousands of retailers globally for over 50 years. Our books can also be purchased directly at HistriaBooks.com.

Stay tuned for more updates and get ready to dive into the world of The Mutant and The Mule. This is one adventure you won’t want to miss!

Happy reading!