Ontario Premier ‘Frustrated’ by School Board Spending on Trustee Trips

Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivers remarks at Lakeshore Collegiate Institute in Toronto, on Aug. 31, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby

Ontario’s premier says he is frustrated by stories of “unacceptable” spending by provincial school boards, which have prompted recent audits by the education minister.

“They frustrate me,” Premier Doug Ford said during an unrelated Oct. 25 news conference in Oshawa when a reporter asked if it was time to do away with the school board model.

Ford referenced the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) which sent trustees to Italy for the commissioning of art for St. Padre Pio Catholic Secondary School and Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School.

“They decide to go on a fancy trip to Italy, and they spend $45,000 in taxpayers’ money,” Ford said during the conference. “They’re going to buy $100,000 worth of artwork in Italy for their schools. The cheese slipped off the cracker with these guys. I just don’t get it.”

Education Minister Jill Dunlop has ordered an audit of the case, and trustees have promised to recoup the expenses.

The premier also mentioned the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) which sent trustees on an August retreat at the Rogers Centre stadium hotel. The TVDSB trip, which is also being audited by the province, included 18 senior staff and cost more than $38,000, according to a statement released by the school board on Sept. 12.

“I’ve directed our minister of education to start doing audits on these school boards,” Ford said. “They are the first to scream ‘they need more money’ and so on and so forth, and we’re pouring money into school boards, and they’re out partying and acting like a bunch of yahoos.”

The BHNCDSB chair issued an Oct. 22 statement on its website to apologize for the Italy trip.

“We deeply regret the events that have taken place. We wish to reiterate to everyone that this was undertaken in good faith, with good intentions, and for the promotion of our Catholicity, but mistakes were made,” board chair Rick Petrella wrote in the statement.

“I want to personally assure everyone that such incidents will not occur again. We recognize that we let you down and we take full responsibility and ownership for this and are committed to making things right.”

Petrella said that the trustees were taking “concrete actions” to address the cost of the trip, which included personal repayment. The cost of the art may be also covered by donors, the board chair said. He said the board wanted to get to a “total net zero cost” for ratepayers.

Petrella also noted the board is rewriting the trustee expense policy and will cooperate with the provincial audit.

For its part, TVDSB released details of the retreat expenses, saying the total costs were $5,468.09 for travel, $19,778.02 for accommodations, and $13,198.81 for meeting rooms and meals.

TVDSB Chair Beth Mai said the board would also review and make changes to its expense policy and procedures.