A $145,000 Italy trip by a group of Ontario school trustees is “symbolic of deeper structural problems” within the school board.
That statement was made in the findings of a third-party review into the July 2024 trip by trustees of Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB), and released Wednesday as part of a group of reports into several school boards’ use of finances and resources.
The week-long $45,000 trip, which sparked intense scrutiny after reports of it surfaced in October, saw trustees buy $100,000 worth of artwork for a new high school under construction in Brantford, which is near Hamilton.
The costs incurred have since ballooned by $63,000 due to legal fees to manage the fallout, the government said Wednesday, bringing the total cost to $190,000.
“This review was prompted by intense public and media scrutiny around the four members of the board of Trustees’ trip to Italy, an event that quickly became symbolic of deeper structural problems within the BHNCDSB,” the report, authored by lawyer Aaron Shull, reads.
“While the Italy trip itself drew widespread criticism for questionable expenditures and insufficient oversight, the central finding of this review is that the board’s governance framework and practices are the core cause of the challenges facing the school board.
“In other words, the Italy trip was the symptom, structural governance practices were the cause.”
Shull’s review found what it called a “tale of two boards.” It read that the day-to-day operations of BHNCDSB were run “efficiently and positively” by an education director many interviewees praised.
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On the other side, the governance role of the board of trustees had “notable dysfunction.”
“Rather than providing broad strategic oversight, certain trustees (though not all) ventured deeply into operational territory, often bypassing established processes and failing to bring relevant decisions before all members of the board,” the report found.
“The contrast between these two approaches, one guided by a respected director, and the other marked by trustee overreach, illuminates the core governance issues at hand.”
Shull’s report made 18 recommendations, all of which the government said the school board must submit an implementation report on by May 23.
It is also being directed to repay the amounts owing for trustee travel expenses within 30 days and recoup the total funds spent on the art and artifacts purchased in Italy within 30 days.
Furthermore, BHNCDSB must attest to conducting its business only in meetings that are compliant with regulations and legislation, and submit a learning plan for trustees’ professional development highlighting governance responsibilities.
The chair of the school board claimed in October that several donors were “very interested” in footing the $100,000 bill for artwork it commissioned. Rick Petrella, who the Brantford Expositor recently reported is now on a leave of absence, apologized after reporting on the trip’s expenses came to light, and said the group of trustees were committed to “making things right.”
Newly appointed Education Minister Paul Calandra threatened further action against BHNCDSB if it did not meet its deadline when speaking to reporters Wednesday.
“If that board doesn’t do what we are asking them to do, if they don’t follow through on the additional recommendations, then I will use the tools that are available to me to take further action,” he said.
— with files from Isaac Callan
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