Four trustees from the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board traveled to South Tyrol, a province in northeastern Italy known for its religious art, this past summer.
The trip was intended to bring back pieces to decorate two schools opening over the next two years at a cost of $145,000.
“The board of trustees wishes to express regret regarding the events related to the trip to Italy this summer. We recognize that the optics and actions of this trip were not favorable, and although it was undertaken in good faith to promote our Catholic identity and to do something special for our two new schools, we acknowledge that it was not the best course of action,” said Rick Petrella, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We take responsibility and ownership for this and are committed to addressing and remedying the situation. Each trustee, including myself, who participated in the trip has agreed to repay all the expenses incurred to the board. Additionally, with regard to the Catholic statues we commissioned, we are exploring other non-board funding options to help offset the costs.”
Carlo Fortino, president of the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic Teachers’ Association, said his initial reaction to the trip was that the expense was ‘unnecessary.’
While the trustees involved say they are paying back the travel expenses, the board is looking at other ways to cover the cost of the art and says it is allocating new funds for student needs.
Petrella said he and the other trustees have heard the concerns of parents, staff, students and stakeholders.
“We deeply regret the events that have taken place, and I want to personally assure everyone that such incidents will not occur again. We are committed to providing the highest quality educational experience for our community and to continuing our longstanding tradition of sound fiscal management, ensuring that our board remains one of the best in the province,” said Petrella.
