'This is a bit of a flash point': TVDSB interim education director welcomes ministry audit

Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) Director of Education Mark Fisher landed on a leave of absence shortly after concerns were raised about the trip to Toronto over the summer.

The two-day strategic planning session for 18 senior staff members cost the board $38,444.92. The session included a stay in the hotel inside Rogers Centre, with rooms overlooking the baseball diamond. Meals and meeting rooms were also part of the package.

Interim Education Director Bill Tucker told CTV News the audit was triggered by the Ministry of Education, “They wanted to send some people and take a look at how things were operational. So, it did come from the Ministry of Education.”

Tucker said independent financial audits are undertaken by the board on an ongoing basis, but this audit will have a different focus, “Auditing for a financial institution like the Board of Education is common. What's unique about this one is it’s going to look at operational aspects of the budget specifically, as opposed to more of a wide-ranging approach.”

“I think this is a bit of a flash point for a situation that nobody was really expecting, but perhaps is necessary,” observed Craig Smith. Smith is president of the Thames Valley local of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

Smith noted, “The board is a big organization and every dollar that comes into it, it has a budget of $1.4 billion, is public money. And so, I think the public has a natural interest in ensuring that this public institution is running smoothly.”

ETFO’s Thames Valley Teacher Local. (File)

TVDSB and the London District Catholic Board are among the fastest growing school boards in the country right now.

Tucker believes it's another reason why an independent audit could be beneficial, “Trying to keep up to that explosive growth is a challenge for everyone, from our senior team members, for principals of schools, for enrollment pressures. So, anything or anyone, any group that can come in and help us with a fresh set of eyes is more than welcome.”

Smith hopes there will be other benefits from the review. He pointed to the $7.8 million deficit the board is currently facing. That was trimmed down from an over $18 million deficit. Smith said there were cuts to vital programming and schools have been relying on fundraising to get basic classroom supplies.

He said relying on fundraising creates disparities from school-to-school socioeconomic conditions. He's hopeful the audit will lead to more money being directed to classrooms, to help address those inequities, “There's a number of concerns that are tied up into this that I think have resonated with the public. And I think an audit and a look at how things are done is probably in order.”

Tucker and Board Chair Beth Mai are expecting to meet with Deputy Education Minister Shannon Fuller sometime this week. An exact timeline for the start and completion of the audit has not been set.