Minister ‘reluctant’ to oust Catholic trustees
Alberta’s education minister is getting daily briefings on the conflictridden Edmonton Catholic school board, he said Monday.
David Eggen also said that there’s a “strong appetite” for “categorical change” on the board as the next civic election approaches on Oct. 25.
“In terms of dissolving a board, I am very reluctant to do that, and of course, now we’re in a position where in a number of months, that effectively will take place with the municipal elections,” Eggen said.
A Journal investigation found some Edmonton Catholic trustees had spent about six months last year attempting to pay for $23,000 in legal fees accrued by trustee Larry Kowalczyk when he took his colleagues to court in 2013.
The board members sought four legal opinions on how they could settle the case in secret.
Since being elected in 2013, trustees have clashed publicly over a required new policy to protect LGBTQ students, and whether to extend superintendent Joan Carr’s contract, among other issues.
Appointed by Eggen in October 2015 to work with the board, consultant Don Cummings concluded their interpersonal conflicts were “intractable.”
Following the Cummings report, Eggen told his deputy minister, Curtis Clarke, to keep an eye on the seven trustees, who are tasked with re-writing all their board policies.
Eggen acknowledged Monday the board’s problems go beyond their policies.
When asked if he was waiting out the personality clashes until the October election, Eggen said he’s “watching them close (ly).”
“Edmonton Catholic Schools are very high performing and have a very, very good reputation.
“I’m just hoping we can match up that fine reputation ... in the schools to governance here in the future with Edmonton Catholic.”
Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
The Alberta School Boards Association said it doesn’t comment on “local issues.”
The president of the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association couldn’t be reached for comment.
Most “reprehensible” among the board’s backroom business is that trustees spent taxpayers’ money consulting lawyers about how to keep information from the public, said Paige MacPherson, Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
Whoever made that decision should immediately pay back the money spent on lawyers’ fees, she said.
After the board tussled over how best to spend professional development allowances, MacPherson said she’d like to see school board trustees publicly report on the value of any taxpayerfunded professional development expenses.
The board’s troubles also bolster the federation’s case for introducing recall legislation for all elected officials, MacPherson said.
If they can gather the signatures of 40 per cent of electors, voters should be able to turf out politicians before election day if enough of them are dissatisfied with their performance.