Trustees met to address minister's demand

Trustees of the Dufferin- Peel Catholic District School Board met Monday night to discuss a directive from the minister of education, demanding the board implement their twoyear deficit management plan.

Known as Plan B, the plan was created by staff and Peter Lauwers, a special advisor appointed by the ministry. Trustees were adamant at their Sept. 14 they would not entertain any more cuts to programs and services.

The board received the letter Friday afternoon from the minister, who was exercising her authority under the Education Act.

(The outcome of Monday night's meeting was not known at press time.)

Trustees were not moved by a personal appearance and appeal from new Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne at their Sept. 26 board meeting.

At a special board meeting Sept. 14, trustees had rejected a deficit reduction plan that would have produced a balanced budget in two years. While rejecting the plan, trustees did approve approximately $10 million in cost savings and new revenue proposals over two years. In her address, the minister urged the board to reconsider its Sept. 14 decision and consider revisiting the original two-year deficit reduction plan.

By not referring the plan for re-consideration for Monday's meeting, trustees reaffirmed their Sept. 14 decision - that they would not consider further cuts.

In light of this, the minister used her powers to direct board staff to make cuts. If not satisfied, the minister could appoint a supervisor to assume governance of the board. The latter option is one in which the minister vehemently opposed in her role as a Toronto trustee, just three years ago.

"While we appreciated the minister coming here to address us directly (Sept. 26), trustees simply could not justify making additional millions of dollars in program and service cuts," said board chair Peter Ferreira. "Our deficit is the direct result of widely recognized and acknowledged shortfalls in education funding. We have already made millions of dollars in program and service cuts. Trustees have said enough is enough.

"We certainly welcome the more congenial approach this minister has displayed, but at the end of the day, the message we heard last night is essentially the same as her predecessors.

"This is not to say that we are not receptive to working with the minister, but in order for meaningful resolution to take place, the province must address the funding shortfalls now, because we can't pay our bills on faint hope and promises of a fix two or three years down the road. It won't work for us and it certainly won't work for the tens of thousands of parents whom have spoken clearly on this issue."

Ferreira stressed that any initiative to fix the funding formula must include an annual provincial review and adjustment of the funding benchmarks, a recommendation made by Mordecai Rozanski and the Education Equality Task Force in 2002.

"We appreciate the gesture the minister made by coming to meet with us directly and look forward to working with her in a collaborative approach that does not inflict further damage to the excellent programs and services we provide to our community."