School board trustees tee off anew on $38K retreat: ‘How could this happen?’

Thames Valley District school board trustees reacted publicly for the first time on Tuesday night to details of a Toronto retreat by administrators that cost taxpayers more than $38,000 while the organization battles a $7.6-million deficit.

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The details were officially presented to trustees at a committee meeting following a request from trustee Lori-Ann Pizzolato that officials make public the full cost of the three-day retreat at the Marriott City Center Hotel, formerly known as the SkyDome hotel.

London trustee Marianne Larsen said she only heard about the expensive trip that led to an ongoing provincial audit of the school board by reading about it in The Free Press.

“I still don’t understand how this is even possible, how this could have happened in light of our concerns about our deficit,” she said. “I’m looking for some accountability here – as are many people who might be listening in, the public at large. They deserve that accountability.”

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A majority of the 18 senior board staff who attended the retreat traveled by train to and from Toronto on Via’s equivalent of first class. They stayed at the former SkyDome hotel, where hotel staff say rooms range from $374 to $1,199 a night. The retreat was held from Aug. 19 to Aug. 21, the Blue Jays playing at home on all three dates.

Larsen pointed out that Thames Valley trustees had passed a motion back in June that read: “Professional development opportunities, travel and catering events must be aligned with our strategic plan and ensure we look for efficiencies.”

She said: “I don’t understand how it could be possible.”

Interim education director Bill Tucker, who replaced Mark Fisher after he went on a paid leave of absence days into the new school year, said Larsen’s question was “valid.”

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“I’m not sure the folks here right now can answer it to be quite honest with you,” he said. “I can assure this motion is front and center in our dialogue on almost a weekly basis when we get professional development requests or when we get requests elsewhere.

“We refer to this quite extensively.”

London trustee Arlene Morell also raised concerns about the timing of the retreat, noting the board’s deficit had been $18 million – cut down to $7.8 million though cuts to jobs, school supplies and money for field trips.

The cost of the retreat totaled $38,449.87:

• $5,455.04 for travel
• $19,778.02 for accommodations
• $13,216.81 for meeting expenses and meals

The board’s $18 million deficit had been slashed by $11 million through cuts that included 58 elementary school and 24 high school teaching positions, along with 17 early childhood educator jobs and four positions in speech and psychological services.

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The board also slashed by half the money for student field trips, now down to $500,000 annually.

There has also been upheaval over the past month at the top of the organization, including Fisher’s paid leave after five years at the helm.

Last week, associate education director Linda Nicholls went on a paid leave of absence. Both communications director Cheryl Weedmark and the board’s superintendent of human resources, Katie Osborne, left the organization. And recently promoted associate director Andrew Canham also stepped down from his position and back into his role as superintendent.

Tuesday did not mark the first time trustees had heard details of the retreat. Chair Beth Mai made public the cost last month after backlash from the public, unions and parents.

After The Free Press reported on the retreat, Ontario’s Education Ministry launched a sweeping audit of the school board, Ontario’s fourth-biggest, as well as the executives’ compensation and their administration of the board.

Thames Valley has 84,000 students at 160 schools across the London region. It employs more than 5,500 teachers and 5,000 occasional staff, and about 2,000 support staff.

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