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

Local teachers’ union rep says an Education Ministry audit could answer important questions about Thames Valley District School Board operations.

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.”