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Province launches student family support offices in Simcoe–Grey

September 10, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Ontario government is expanding student and family support offices to all 72 school boards across the province.

This expansion is intended to help parents and families navigate educational resources and find solutions for their children.

Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey, announced on Sept. 2 that all school boards in Simcoe-Grey now have student and family support offices.

This initiative aims to make school boards more accountable and focused on student success with a back-to-basics approach that strengthens student achievement and prepares them for rewarding careers.

“Our schools and educators do excellent work every day supporting students and families in our communities,” MPP Saunderson said.

“These new offices will provide parents with an additional resource when more complex concerns arise, helping families navigate the education system and get the support they need. I’m pleased to see this additional support now available across Simcoe-Grey.”

Student and family support offices review concerns raised by parents to help address matters that need to be escalated following initial engagement with a child’s teacher and principal.

As part of their mandate, these offices streamline the response process for families by acknowledging inquiries within two business days and aim to provide an answer within five business days.

School boards are also expected to ensure responses to parent inquiries are conducted in a clear manner that is easily understood by a parent and include relevant and accurate information that addresses the specific inquiry.

“Parents should have a clear and consistent way to raise concerns and get answers when it comes to their child’s education,” said Paul Calandra, Ontario’s education minister.

“We are strengthening accountability across our school boards and making sure families can get the support they need when they need it. Everything we are doing is focused on improving student achievement and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.”

The Ministry of Education will collect information regularly from all 72 school boards to identify patterns and trends about the types of concerns parents are raising, helping to find ways to improve processes so students and families receive better support.

Student and family support offices have already been operating in supervised school boards, with 95 per cent of family inquiries acknowledged within two business days and nearly 90 per cent receiving a response within five business days or an estimated response date for more complex matters.

For the 2026-27 school year, students and teachers will return to updated curriculum, new classroom resources and stronger supports, including new tools to support financial literacy and math, and clearer expectations around attendance and assessment.

The Simcoe County District School Board can be contacted at supportoffice@scdsb.on.ca and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board can be reached at supportoffice@smcdsb.on.ca.

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