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Education minister extends audit of Vancouver school board

Extension comes amid allegations of bullying, toxic workplace
bernier
Education Mike Bernier announced Thursday that a special advisor conducting an audit of the Vancouver School Board has been given another two weeks to finalize recommendations. Photo Dan Toulgoet

A special advisor who has been conducting an audit of the operations and governance of the Vancouver School Board has been given another 14 days to complete his work because of the sudden mass medical leave of six board staff and a decision by trustees to indefinitely suspend discussions to close schools.

Education Minister Mike Bernier announced his decision Thursday to extend the work of Peter Milburn, who was to deliver his report Friday. The minister appointed Milburn July 18 to lead a forensic audit and full review of the board of nine trustees after it failed to submit a balanced budget in the summer.

“It’s really important that when I receive this report, and when I receive these recommendations, that they’re accurate and factual to the changing dynamics of what’s happening in Vancouver for me to be able to make decisions,” Bernier told reporters at press conference outside the provincial cabinet offices in Vancouver.

Bernier’s announcement came after a whirlwind two weeks at the school board in which superintendent Scott Robinson, secretary-treasurer Russell Horswill and four other senior staff members took medical leave. That same week, the B.C. School Superintendents Association wrote a letter to the education ministry alleging a toxic work environment between trustees and board staff.

The ministry forwarded the letter to WorkSafeBC because of the agency’s jurisdiction regarding bullying and harassment in the workplace. Then, with an acting superintendent and secretary-treasurer in place, the board’s four Vision Vancouver trustees and Green Party trustee Janet Fraser voted Monday to suspend an ongoing process to potentially close 11 schools in Vancouver.

Bernier said his deputy minister has contacted WorkSafeBC to notify the agency of the work by Milburn and audit team, which has reviewed a large volume of records obtained from staff and trustees. Milburn, he said, would make himself available to WorkSafeBC for an interview.

The School Act allowed Bernier to fire the board in the summer when it failed to balance its budget. Vancouver was the only board of 60 in the province that didn’t balance its budget. Asked Thursday why he didn’t follow through on the provision in the Act to fire the board, Bernier said “it’s really important that I gather all the appropriate information in this situation. It’s a very difficult situation in Vancouver.”

Vision Vancouver school trustee Mike Lombardi, chairperson of the school board, said the board is the most audited in Canada, citing previous audits and reviews ordered by the ministry. The board also initiated its own audit in 2012.

“The minister will do what he needs to do,” Lombardi said of the 14-day extension for the current audit. “I was elected by the citizens of the city to help focus and get good results for our kids. We’ve got great outcomes, we want to keep it that way. We’re focused on supporting our teachers, our administrators and our support staff.”

In 2015, then education minister Peter Fassbender appointed EY, formerly Ernst and Young, to serve as special advisor on the board’s budget even though the board already hired PwC to undertake similar work – to update the 2012 report and identify opportunities for additional savings. Trustees opted to continue with the PwC contract despite the potential for duplication.

mhowell@vancourier.com

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