Eggen takes Catholic board to task over expenses

Alberta’s education minister is “disappointed” Edmonton Catholic school trustees are spending education tax dollars on obtaining a master’s degree and trips to religious conferences in California.

“Especially during tough economic times, we must all be careful with the public dollars we are entrusted with,” Minister David Eggen said in a short emailed statement Friday. “It is my expectation that every public dollar that we provide for education must be spent on supporting our students and preparing them for success.”

Catholic school trustees are at odds over the best use of the $4,000 they are each allotted every year for professional development. Trustee Marilyn Bergstra said she was puzzled when her colleagues approved tuition and travel payments for the first term of her master’s of public health degree at the University of Waterloo in 2016, then rejected her claims for 2017.

Bergstra said the degree is relevant to creating policies that improve the health of students in the district.

She also said the degree is a better value than travelling out of the country for conferences and religious events. Trustees spent $28,597 travelling to international conferences between 2012 and 2016, expense reports show.