The Ontario government has appointed Aaron Shull to review the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board’s (BHNCDSB) expenses, and its conflict of interest and accountability policies.
Shull’s appointment is in response to an incident in July 2024, when four of six trustees from BHNCDSB travelled to South Tyrol, Italy, to purchase religious art for two new schools. Information gathered by the Ministry of Education found there were changes to the board’s policies about expenses and spending on non-student-related items (discretionary expenses) before the trip was taken.
“Trustees are expected to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and to spend education funding to support student achievement and better equip teachers in the classrooms, not on lavish trips and costly artwork,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Education. “The BHNCDSB’s misuse of public dollars is appalling, and they have failed students, parents and their community with a serious lack of fiscal responsibility and judgment.”
During his tenure, Shull will provide the ministry with regular updates on his work, leading to a final report by March 2025 that will focus on the BHNCDSB’s policies and procedures related to:
- Trustee expenses, travel, procurement, fundraising and financial accountability, especially focusing on the Italy trip and related purchases (art and artifacts)
- Board executives’ pay to ensure it follows the Broader Public Sector Executive Compensation Act
- Any other relevant issues that come up during the review, including key staffing changes
“We look forward to seeing the outcomes of Mr. Shull’s review and his recommendations to strengthen the governance of the BHNCDSB,” Minister Dunlop said. “This review is an important step in our ongoing efforts to maintain confidence in the province’s publicly funded education system and help the government prevent such a blatant disregard of fiscal responsibility from happening in the future.”
In addition to this review, the Ministry of Education will be reviewing discretionary expenses across all school boards in Ontario and including them in their bi-annual disclosure of school board financials to create more accountability and transparency.
“Shull has extensive expertise in transparent and accountable decision-making and stewardship of public funds that makes him an exceptional candidate for this appointment. Shull is highly knowledgeable in public policy, governance and procedural fairness. He has practised law in various capacities and is currently the Managing Director and General Counsel at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. Shull has also taught at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, and delivered keynote lectures around the world,” said the Province, in the release.
