Dire consequences possible as province launches audit of CBE

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — In the short time the United Conservative Party has helmed the Alberta provincial government, there has been a regular target receiving the ire of the Ministry of Education.

Now, a financial audit of the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) has formally begun as the government criticizes the board’s budget with the potential the whole trustee board could be turfed by the end of it.

Issues began with the release of the provincial budget, which left the CBE with a shortfall of over $30 million.

Initially, this prompted the CBE to cut more than 300 contracts for teachers, but those pink slips have been rescinded after the CBE was allowed to redirect about $15 million in maintenance funding to save the jobs.

But this short term solution has not quelled any of the schoolyard bickering between the government and the CBE, with a review led by Grant Thornton LLP now underway and a final report expected back to Education Minister Adriana Lagrange by Jan. 31, 2020.

“I expect all boards to prioritize the educational experience of Alberta’s students. With an operating budget of $1.2 billion, I believe the Calgary Board of Education has many options available that would allow it to operate within its budget allocation while still providing students with a world-class, high-quality education.

“My hope is that this inquiry will provide context to recent board decisions, so we can provide them with much-needed guidance,” Lagrange said in a statement announcing the launch of the review.

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Then the CBC reported that following a roundtable discussion on Thursday focusing on the Choice in Education Act, Lagrange said she is prepared to fire the seven trustees sitting on the CBE.

But how much of a disruption would this action cause?

“So, that’s pretty serious business,” said Lisa Young, a professor at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy.

There is precedent here as well, as back in the late ’90’s the late Premier Ralph Klein dismissed the CBE trustees amid a failure to resolve internal conflicts and a loss of public trust.

“What we’re seeing here is the Klein government’s greatest hits being played all over again,” Young added.

It also came during a time of serious budget cuts in education, drawing further parallels to the current UCP government.

But in terms of day-to-day operations, a complete overhaul may not have that much effect, as the overall viability of the board is also in question.

“I don’t think it would have any direct impact on kids in schools for the rest of the school year,” Young said. “The board doesn’t have the authority to levy taxes, so it can’t shape whether Calgary schools are better funded or worse funded. It doesn’t really negotiate with teachers.”

However, the optics are certainly something to consider if Lagrange follows through on firing the board, even if she labelled it as a last resort.

“It would certainly have political implications,” Young explained. “We’re in a situation where the Calgary board is going to have a very difficult time going to the ministry to say that they’ve got special funding needs.”

“It makes it very difficult for the board to be critical of decisions that the government is making in terms of funding.”

While Young believes the Calgary and Edmonton boards both deal with different situations in terms of student needs, it will be tough to pitch the case for more money to the government during this tense political climate.

This audit from the UCP comes about two years after a review was done by the past NDP government, which uncovered some bookkeeping errors, but no major criticisms of the board’s budget as a whole.

In a statement, the CBE indicated they are ready to co-operate fully.

“We are confident in our sound financial and governance practices. We submit all required financial information to the Ministry monthly, quarterly and annually. We continue to receive clean independent audits that show our financial results are fully compliant with legislation, regulation and Canadian accounting standards,” it said in an email provided to 660 NEWS.

“The 2017 operational review of the CBE conducted by the provincial government found that our spending was in line with those of other large school boards in the province. In a large organization that welcomes all students and serves very diverse needs we have made decisions within the financial constraints under which we operate.”

However, another statement from the Ministry of Education parsed more harsh words towards the CBE as officials also added that Lagrange feels “all options are on the table” in response to the review.

“Grant Thornton’s significant experience working with school divisions across the country will help our government get down to the root causes of the CBE’s systemic inability to prioritize their students and practice strong fiscal management,” wrote Press Secretary Colin Aitchison. “We look forward to receiving the audit.”