GUELPH – While school boards across Ontario are facing tough questions about significant travel expenses, the local Catholic school board is open about its discretionary spending, posting expenses publicly on its website.
In November, Premiere Doug Ford ordered an Ontario-wide audit of school boards’ discretionary spending.
A Wellington Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) spokesperson responded immediately to the Advertiser’s request for financial disclosure with a public link to a break-down of spending from the board’s director, superintendents, and trustees.
School boards are mandated to make trustees’ discretionary spending publicly available, but the WCDSB includes staff spending, too, as a “commitment to accountability and transparency,” communications lead Alison Lupal said.
The breakdown on the WCDSB website includes itemized lists for each month of the 2023-24 school year and totals about $51,000.
This covers membership fees to organizations, conference fees, hotel stays for conferences, milage and other transportation costs, and a handful of meals (capped at $30 per meal).
Director Michael Glazier said some of the conferences are requirements for people in specific roles, and they all present an opportunity for professional learning and align with the board’s multi-year plan or current priorities.
“We are stewards of public education dollars,” Glazier said.
“So we want to make sure that we are moving the organization forward, but also doing that in an effective and cost efficient way.”
All but one of the conferences attended during the 2023-24 school year took place in Ontario, and most were in Toronto.
Glazier said the board is not approving any conferences outside of Canada “at this time,” and all of the conferences are endorsed or supported by the Ministry of Education.
Executive council
Overall, the director and five superintendents spent over $31,000 in milage and conference-related expenses and more than $15,000 in membership fees in 2023-24.
Though the expenses are broken down by person online, Glazier noted some officials include other people’s expenses in their own budgets. For example, a Red Car service fee listed in his expenses was for student trustees to attend a conference.
Director Glazier spent $4,450 for conference registration fees, a seminar, accommodations, Red Car service, a flight to Calgary, meals and parking, as well as about $2,000, for mileage, totalling about $6,450. On top of that, he spent $6,300 in membership fees.
Superintendent Marilyn Dawson spent about $7,000 on registration fees, accommodations, train fare, meals and parking for conferences, along with $2,200 in mileage, totalling about $9,200. She did not claim any membership fees.
Superintendent Brian Capovilla spent over $3,500 on conference fees and accommodation and almost $1,400 in mileage, totalling nearly $5,000. For membership fees he spent $2,300.
Superintendent Tracy McLennan spent about $3,500 on conference registration fees, accommodations, mileage, Go Train tickets, and one meal for two. She spent $3,750 on membership fees.
Superintendent Betty Farrell spent $3,400 on conference fees, accommodation and parking, along with $1,400 in mileage, totalling $4,800. She spent $1,550 in membership fees.
Superintendent Michelle Sawa spent $475 on a conference and $465 in mileage for the year, totalling $940. For membership fees she claimed $1,550.
Trustees
Trustees claimed nearly $20,000 in mileage and conference-related expenses, including flights to Calgary for three trustees to attend a Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association annual general meeting conference.
Glazier also attended this conference and said it was an opportunity to develop a better understanding of “emerging issues they might face as trustees,” including risk management, faith formation, truth and reconciliation, Indigenous education, equity, human rights and legal issues.
Trustee Marino Gazzola spent about $4,300 on conference and seminar registration fees, accommodations, flights, taxi fare, meals and parking, as well as $725 in mileage, totalling over $5,000.
Trustee Vikki Dupuis spent about $3,900 on conference registration fees, accommodations, flights, parking and taxi fare as well as $625 in mileage, totalling $4,525.
Trustee Sebastian DalBo spent about $2,700 on conference and seminars registration fees, accommodation, flights, meals, parking and taxi fare, as well as about $100 in milage, totalling $2,800.
Trustee Andrew Finoro spent almost $2,000 on conference and seminar registration fees, accommodation, parking and a meal, as well as about $500 in mileage, totalling $2,500.
Trustee Joe Tersigni spent about $1,075 on conference registration fees and accommodations, and did not claim any mileage.
The two student trustees spent a combined $3,700 on conference fees and meals.
Glazier noted the board limits the number of conferences student trustees attend, as “we understand that we have to be prudent with taxpayer dollars.
“But we also want to give them an opportunity to attend student leadership conferences. They do have a role as student trustees.”
Value of conferences
Glazier said conferences are opportunities for school officials to meet with ministry staff and collaborate with other school boards and heads of organizations in public education.
It’s a chance to hear how others are “managing situations and addressing issues,” he said, including transportation, budgets, policies, Indigenous education and mental health.
To view the full expense reports, visit wellingtoncdsb.ca.
