Lambton Kent District School Board defends sending three workers to Hawaii

In a statement Thursday, the Lambton Kent District School Board (LKDSB) defended sending three staff members in January to a conference in Hawaii.

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The CBC reported the board spent more than $32,000 sending three members of its Indigenous education team to the Hawaii international conference on education held Jan. 3 to 6.

A board spokesperson said education director John Howitt was not available to comment.

“Attending this conference provided LKDSB Indigenous education staff with the invaluable, once-in-a-career opportunity to elevate their professional development and actively contribute to the ongoing growth and improvement of” the board, the statement said.

The board confirmed that three “front line” staff from its Indigenous education team attended the conference in January at Waikoloa, Hawaii, but didn’t confirm the cost reported by the CBC.

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“Participants engaged in unique, land-based learning experiences on the island and had the rare opportunity to connect with and learn from esteemed elders,” the board said.

“This positioned the conference as a transformative experience that shaped the future of Indigenous education in our community and the Indigenous educational opportunities for our students.”

The board said the trip was approved by senior administration and supported by an Indigenous liaison committee made up of the four First Nations – Aamjiwnaang, Delaware, Kettle and Stony Point and Walpole Island – with which board works in partnership.

Expenses, including registration fees, travel expenses, accommodations and meals, were paid from the board’s action plan funds for Indigenous education and professional development related to Indigenous education.

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The plan’s professional development budget was underspent, the board said.

It’s the latest in a series of trips that have come to light involving school boards in southwestern Ontario.

Postmedia reported the Thames Valley District School Board spent more than $38,000 on a trip by officials to the hotel inside the Toronto Blue Jays stadium. Following that, the board’s education director 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.

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Postmedia also reported the London District Catholic School Board spent $16,000 on a one-night, two-day meeting for 26 senior staffers in August.

The Brantford Expositor reported an art-buying trip to Italy by four trustees with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board cost more than $50,000. It was later announced the trustees would repay expenses incurred by the board. Ontario’s Education Ministry has launched a governance review of the board.

“At Lambton Kent District School Board, we maintain the quality of our staff by investing in them,” the board said.

Jennifer Kumpf, president of District 10 of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation representing teachers with the board, said it’s “likely uncommon for trips or conferences of that nature to take place, but the board does have internal processes for review and approval of funding allowances for expenses, including those for professional development.”

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Ongoing professional development is “an expectation and requirement for educators in the public system and that learning can take a variety of forms,” Kumpf said.

Public school boards also have a responsibility to “appropriately manage resources,” she said. “That’s especially true at a time when government funding for education continues to decline.”

The board said the conference in Hawaii was attended by more than 1,300 participants from more than 56 countries.

“In a commitment to our efforts toward truth and reconciliation, and given the ever-evolving landscape of education, it is crucial for professionals on our Indigenous education team to stay updated on the latest trends, strategies, and technologies to address the changing needs of students and learners,” the board said.

With files by Heather Rivers of the London Free Press

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