A teacher’s union in Ontario is calling for the resignation of a group of trustees after they spent $50,000 on a trip to Italy over the summer to procure artwork for St. Padre Pio Secondary School in Brantford.
In an open letter to the Brant Haldimand Norfolk unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, acting president Carlo Fortino called for the resignation of the four trustees. They are being accused of using public funds to pay for a trip to South Tyrol to purchase $100,000 worth of art planned for installation in the school’s chapel.
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board trustees Rick Petrella, Dan Dignard, Bill Chopp and Mark Watson were listed in the letter.
“Recent revelations surrounding your inappropriate spending practices as trustees have significantly eroded confidence in your ability to make sound, responsible decisions that reflect the needs and values of our school community,” wrote Fortino in the letter published on Thursday.
“These actions have not only raised serious questions about your leadership but have also weakened the essential trust that our members, students, parents, other educators and staff have in you.”
Fortino told The Expositor in an interview that the decision was “carefully considered and discussed amongst the union executive.”
The union, which represents around 1,000 local elementary and secondary school teachers across the province, condemned the trustees’ actions as they became public but “gave them the chance to do the honourable thing” and resign.
Minister of Education Jill Dunlop said the ministry and the public “expressed clear concerns for the misuse of taxpayers’ dollars,” earlier this month and called for a review of the school board.
“Who’s minding the hen house?” asked Fortino. “Is it the union’s job to clean up the trustees? How much longer can we wait?”
The trustee’s trip to Italy came shortly after the school board approved changes to its trustee expense policy, which included an upgrade from economy to coach class for travel outside North America.
Other changes involved booking above the standard hotel room rate, the elimination of maximum rates for meals and an allowance of claims for alcohol in certain cases.
However, many of these changes have since been walked back amid public outcry.
According to a statement from Petrella, the trustees plan to repay all their expenses to the board and donations have been set up to pay for the artwork.
Their expenses included a $1,600 dinner at a gourmet hotel and spa for the four trustees and transportation costs totalled $31,500, including $28,200 for flights.
Hotel costs came to nearly $16,000.
Union members were “pretty incensed” by the lavish spending, noted Fortino.
Matters were made worse when Petrella cited the school board’s positive financial standing as a factor in deciding to travel to Europe.
The board’s operating budget for 2024-2025 was set at $180-million and has an accumulated surplus of $33 million, which Petrella said allows for the board “to invest and do things maybe some other boards can’t.”
Among the artworks purchased were life-sized, hand-painted wood statues of St. Padre Pio and the Virgin Mary, a large crucifix, and sculptures depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross.
“Some of our membership felt demoralized,” said Fortino. “We are in need of more resources. We have infrastructure that could be fixed.”
For example, the board is short of early childhood educators and some teachers are still waiting for audio/visual equipment to be repaired.
“You shouldn’t be sitting on that kind of (surplus) money. You should be reinvesting it in students and staff in the board,” said Fortino.
While he hasn’t received a response from the board in response to the union’s call for the trustees’ resignations, his letter said the trustees’ stepping down will “allow for a fresh start within our board and community.”