Catholic board one of three to accept cost review
Province says Hamilton and Burlington also volunteered for reviews
Hamilton’s Catholic school board is one of three boards across Ontario that have volunteered to undergo provincially funded financial reviews of their programs and services. The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board will receive up to $150,000 for their review, which will be conducted by a consultant and focus on special education and information technology, said chair Pat Daly.
“We selected ... two areas that we thought it would be helpful to get additional analysis ... and bring back recommendations,” Daly said.
In May, the province established the audit and accountability fund.
It will provide just over $8 million for school boards and large urban municipalities to conduct what the premier has called “line-by-line” financial reviews.
Daly said the amount the board will receive for the review will depend on the cost of the outside consultant.
On Thursday, the government announced 39 municipalities, including Hamilton, and three school boards had taken them up on their offer.
Other municipalities taking part include Brantford, Burlington and Cambridge.
In Hamilton, the review conducted for the municipality and the local Catholic school board are expected to be completed before the end of the year, so final reports can be delivered by Dec. 31.
Daly said he hopes the review affirms areas in which the board is succeeding and highlights areas where there is room to be more effective and efficient by looking at other strategies or ways of providing programs.
Treasury Board president Peter Bethlenfalvy praised those who volunteered to take part in the reviews.
“Our government is working hard to build a foundation for our long-term prosperity and to achieve that it will be essential to work co-operatively with our municipal and education partners,” he said in a statement.
“I commend these municipalities and school boards for doing their part to build smarter government, while making sure vital programs and services will be there when people need them.”