www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday June 14, 2008 - 5 Board to report to Province on high trustee expenses By Tim Whitnell SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The Ontario Ministry of Education's concern that Halton District School Board (HDSB) is among the biggest spenders in the province in terms of trustee costs is based upon skewed figures, says the board's treasurer. In mid-May Education Minister Kathleen Wynne sent seven Ontario school boards -- Halton, Peel, Toronto and York and Catholic boards in York, London and Sudbury -- a letter asking for a justification of trustee-related expenses by the end of this month. Last week, the Province took control of Toronto's Catholic school board following a report that found trustees there had spent an average of $107,000 each. HDSB treasurer Steven Parfeniuk said the letter will be answered next week with a formal letter that will allay the government's concerns. "That (ministry) letter, along with our response, will go to the board (meeting) next Wednesday," with a copy sent to the ministry the following day, said Parfeniuk. He said trustee expenses at Halton's public board appear to average about $10,000 higher than they actually are because of the way some of the board's budget line items were reported. The board has 11 elected trustees and two non-voting student trustees. Elected trustees earn $13,000 to $20,000 per year -- the amount varies based on student enrolment and whether a trustee also serves as the board's vice-chair or chair. During their four-year terms, the public board's trustees also have an annual expense budget of up to $5,000, which can be carried over to the next year if not spent. "Some (trustees) have given it back to the board," Parfeniuk said. "The trustees generally designate where it goes and the last time they gave it to the board's (student) food programs." The board's two student trustees receive $2,500 per year and an expense budget of up to $5,000 during their one-year term. Parfeniuk said the ministry's belief that Halton's public board spends an average of $33,000 per year per trustee is about $10,000 higher than the actual figure of $23,246. This is because three main budget items belong elsewhere in the annual expense numbers the board sends to the government. "We always show our Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA membership) fee that we pay to OPSBA on the governance (budget) line," he said. Parfeniuk said that is a hefty $77,000 cost to the board that traditionally has been itemized under trustee expenses. If you factor in a $20,000 budget for team leadership activities and the $15,000 that can be spent annually on student trustees, it adds up to $112,000, or about $10,000 per elected trustee, that should not be counted toward their annual spending, Parfeniuk insisted. "Other boards show those items on different (budget) lines and we will do that in the future," he said. "We're comfortable with our trustees' expenditures and we'd be more than happy to have somebody come in and look at it." Parfeniuk said he will not be providing trustee-by-trustee expense amounts at next week's board meeting. "The numbers seemed a little high," said ministry spokesperson Patricia MacNeil, adding, "It could very well be (because of) auxiliary fees and association fees. There was no assumption that it was inappropriate (spending)." Oakville Yacht Squadron · Great Summer Fun for Youth Ages 7 and up! · Adult Programs Available · Staff now on-site daily · Youth Programs are tax deductible! For more info contact: 905 338-9379 oysheadinstructor@hotmail.com www.oysqn.com/sailingschool.html or come visit us! (97 Forsythe St., on the west side of 16 Mile Creek) Pud By Steve Nease snease@haltonsearch.com New Patients Welcome! 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