Ministry of Education says the details of the Indigenous conference will be outlined in bi-annual audits all school boards must complete

Heather Wright/The Independent

A $32,000 conference in Hawaii by three educators from the Lambton-Kent District School will not be subject to a separate investigation.

That from the Ministry of Education after announcing another trip by a Brantford-area school board was being examined by a government appointed investigator.

Last January three Lambton-Kent educators travelled to Hawaii for a conference. A Freedom of Information request, originally reported by CBC News, found about $32,000 was spent on everything from the conference fees to air fare and hotel rooms and car rentals. In a statement at the time, the Lambton-Kent District School Board said “we maintain the quality of our staff by investing in them.”

Trustee Jane Bryce, who is part of the  Indigenous Liaison Committee which approved the conference spending along with senior administration, defended the expense. 

“All professional development is appropriate. I see nothing wrong,” she said at the time.

“The government allocates so many dollars for Indigenous education…those dollars were for professional development and workshops and whatever. We have four First Nations(as) part of our board; we’re working on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on bringing healing through education to our First Nations peoples in this area, and we’re acting appropriately.”

Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey told The Independent at the time Education Minister Jill Dunlop had staffers look into the conference. “It’s her understanding…that the training could have been available here in Canada.”

It wasn’t the first time travel costs of publicly funded school boards were questioned. 

The London public school board came under fire for a three day jaunt for 18 officials at the Toronto Blue Jays Hotel. It had a price tag of $38,000. 

And six trustees from a Brantford area Catholic Board went on a $146,000 art buying trip to Italy.

Dec. 19, the province announced an investigator would be looking into Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board’s expenses, and its conflict of interest and accountability policies

The Independent reached out to the Ministry of Education to see if an investigator had also been named in Lambton.

“We will be auditing discretionary expenses at the Lambton-Kent District School Board,” said Edyta McKay, spokesperson for Minister Dunlop in an email.

That audit will be part of a bi-annual disclosure all publicly funded school boards must make under the The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act – not a separate probe officials confirm. 

 “We expect every school board to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars that prioritizes student achievement,” McKay added.

Meantime, some members of Lambton-Kent’s Indigenous Liaison Committee are not pleased with the way the conference was handled. Minutes from the committee meeting record the Education Director of Eelūnaapèewii Lahkèewiit (Delaware Nation), Jolene Whiteye, “voiced dissatisfaction” with the way the issue was handled. 

Whiteye says she supported the professional development saying “it offered valuable insights for attendees to share with both the First Nations and school communities.”

The minutes go on to record; “A discussion was held regarding the conference and it was suggested that future issues should be discussed at the Indigenous Liaison Committee meeting as opposed to discussing at a meeting held in a public forum.”

with files from Blake Ellis