Thames Valley school board officials took first-class train travel for $38K retreat

The majority of the Thames Valley District school board administrators who attended a $38,000 retreat at the Toronto Blue Jays stadium hotel took first-class train travel to get there and back.

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The August retreat, which was uncovered by The Free Press and helped spark a provincial audit of the cash-strapped school board, drew widespread outrage from unions, parents and taxpayers. The board’s top official, education director Mark Fisher, is now on a paid leave of absence.

Trustee Beth Mai, who chairs the school board, made public the full cost of the retreat, $38,444.92. It broke down as follows:

• Travel: $5,468.09
• Accommodations: $19,778.02
• Meeting rooms and meals: $13,198.81

Mai confirms that surprisingly the large travel bill was largely due to business class Via train travel. Via officials say “business” class is their equivalent to first class.

Round-trip business class tickets between Toronto and London range from $200 to $420, Via staff say.

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While Via describes economy as the “most affordable way” to travel, business class is described as a way “to treat yourself.” On its website, Via says: “We’ll make sure your experience is worth the upgrade with business lounge access, wider seats, full meals and more, so you can either relax or work a bit.”

Learning details of the first-class travel was “disappointing,” said Mary Henry of CUPE Local 4222, which represents 1,600 Thames Valley employees including secretaries, educational assistants and early childhood educators.

“There is no need for them to sit in first class,” Henry said.

The school board hasn’t named the 17 board administrators who joined Fisher on the three-day retreat. Mai declined to specify how many of those traveled first class on the train, saying: “I would safely say most did.”

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The senior executives stayed at the Marriot City Center Hotel, formerly the SkyDome Hotel, where many rooms overlook the Blue Jays’ playing field. The Jays were playing on all three days, from Aug. 19-21. Rooms range from $374 to $1,199 per night, hotel staff say.

The retreat took place while Thames Valley, Ontario’s fourth-largest school board, is juggling a $7.6-million deficit that’s already been slashed from $18 million thanks to cuts to jobs, school supplies and funding for kids’ field trips.

Education Minister Jill Dunlop this month announced she’s conducting a management audit of the school board’s executive members’ compensation and their administration of the board.

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