School board travel scandals: Critic blasts ‘never-ending’ spending woes

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A raft of out-of-town – even overseas – trips by school board trustees or officials across Southwestern Ontario have rattled taxpayers and sparked deep reviews by Ontario’s education ministry.

Two more cases became public in the past two days, and one long-time critic of the provincial education system believes it’s time for drastic changes.

“I believe the provincial government will have no choice but to change the education governance structure,” said Debbie Kasman, a veteran educator who has worked for the education minister. “These never-ending recurring problems from one school board after another will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

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Here’s a rundown of the travel expenses that have come to light in the past two months:

THAMES VALLEY DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

The Free Press uncovered the three-day retreat by 18 officials with the London-based school board in late August to the hotel inside the Toronto Blue Jays stadium, where rooms range from $374 to $1,199 per night, hotel staff say. The total bill? More than $38,000. In the fallout, education director Mark Fisher went on a paid leave, several other senior staff members exited and Ontario’s education minister, Jill Dunlop, announced an operational audit of the board, which has 154 elementary and 30 high schools spread across the region.

LONDON DISTRICT CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD

The Free Press reported on Wednesday that documents obtained through a freedom-of-information request show the London-based board spent $16,000 on a one-night, two-day meeting for 26 senior staffers in August. It was held at the Stone Mill Inn in St. Catharines in August. Education director Vince Romeo said the out-of-town meetings were “not retreats or a social gathering” but a way to make senior staff aware of the board’s “greatest needs and strategic priorities.”

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LAMBTON KENT DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

CBC London reports that the Chatham-based board spent more than $32,000 to send three staff members to an education conference in Hawaii. CBC reports the trio belonged the school board’s Indigenous education team and that hotel room rates were as high as $1,113 per night. The board has 66 schools, 53 elementary and 13 secondary, in Sarnia, Lambton County and Chatham-Kent.

BRANT HALDIMAND NORFOLK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

Documents obtained by The Brantford Expositor show a trip to Italy by four trustees cost more than $50,000. The expenses include a dinner bill that totalled $1,600 Canadian. The elected trustees, Rick Petrella, Bill Chopp, Dan Dignard and Mark Watson, travelled to Italy to buy $100,000 worth of artwork for a soon-to-open high school in Brantford. Following public outcry about the spending, Petrella said in a statement that trustees “deeply regret the events that have taken place” and said each trustee who participated in the trip would repay expenses incurred to the board. Ontario’s education ministry has launched a governance review of the board.

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