Catholic school division reports $167,000 loss in Q2
The Regina Catholic School Division has implemented changes in light of a near $167,000 loss posted in the second quarter of fiscal 2015-16.
That’s due to two separate incidents reported in the boards of education loss report, released Monday by the Ministry of Education.
The bulk of that amount is a $164,119 loss due to what RCSD says is an employee’s erroneous overcompensation since 1989.
“That case is before the courts, so we really can’t speak too much about that,” said Twylla West, spokeswoman for the RCSD.
On March 28, former high school teacher Paul Dawson sued the RCSD, relating to his termination on Dec. 17 after 26 years as a teacher in the Catholic school division.
In a statement of claim, Dawson alleges he was forced to resign under the threat of criminal charges. He says RCSD senior staff accused him of lying about his teaching qualifications, thus being paid in a higher salary grade throughout his career.
Dawson claims he “honestly and accurately described his qualifications” when he was hired in September 1989.
The loss report states the RCSD is “pursuing recovery of the amount from the former employee.” The school division also reviewed the other employees in Dawson’s pay class to confirm they are being appropriately compensated, and no discrepancies were found.
The RCSD’s budget for staff salaries in 2015-16 was $83,818,005.
In the second case, an employee cost the RCSD $2,679 when a school division purchasing card was used to buy personal items.
The RCSD is working to recover the money from the employee, who has since been fired.
Since that incident, the RCSD business and finance division is “watching everything very closely and each time we get our statement, our Visa statement, we’re fine-tooth-combing all the expenses,” said West.
The Conseil des ecoles fransaskoises also reported a loss in the second quarter, dated Dec. 1, 2015 to Feb. 29, 2016: A CEF laptop was stolen when an employee’s house was broken into, costing the school division $1,400.