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“While I acknowledge that the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board is taking steps to fix their error in judgment, I remain concerned that accountability was only taken after my ministry and the public expressed clear concerns for the misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Dunlop said in a statement.

On Thursday — a day after defending the $45,000 travel bill and art expenditures — board Chair Rick Petrella said “we deeply regret the events that have taken place, and I want to personally assure everyone that such incidents will not occur again.”

The board recognizes “that the optics and actions of this trip were not favourable, 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,” he also said in his written statement sent to reporters.

On Wednesday, Dunlop had blasted the trip and expenses as showing a “serious lack of fiscal responsibility and judgment.” 

Four of the board’s six trustees — Petrella, Bill Chopp, Dan Dignard and Mark Watson — went overseas to view the statues firsthand, just weeks after trustees approved a new, relaxed policy on travel expenses that allows for first-class seats on long-haul flights, upgraded hotel rooms and, in some situations, alcohol. 

The board has yet to release the specifics of the trip. 

Petrella told the Brantford Expositor that “there is no way the board would hand over a penny without seeing (the statues) in person” and that it had surplus funds to cover the cost of the statues.

“We wanted to do some kind of sculpture,” he also told the Expositor of the interest in a life-sized Virgin Mary and St. Padre Pio, as well as a bust of Pope Francis. “We looked at buying it off the shelf, but nothing stood out.”

He also told the Expositor that given the number of art pieces purchased, the board was able to “negotiate better pricing.”

Petrella had said all the of the expenses were allowable under board policies, but now says there will be a review of those policies “at the earliest opportunity to ensure they align with the Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive.”

“We have heard the concerns of our parents, students, staff, and stakeholders, and we recognize the need to further invest in our system,” he added, which includes immediate funding for extra staff and school breakfast programs.

Carlee Bond, president of the local Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation representing education workers, said “it’s troubling to see $45,000 spent on travel for the trustees, let alone the $100,000 on art that many of our very talented students and staff within the school board could have created.”

At an unrelated announcement Thursday morning, Health Minister and Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones said she gets “very concerned ... when we hear about these examples where funds that should have been used for children and student needs are being diverted for other uses,” adding that the government has a “high bar that we want to make sure everyone who spends public money adheres to.”

The ɫɫ�� Catholic Board says its artwork has been donated, and that trustees are only allowed to travel within Canada unless they have prior approval of the board, and only to attend an educational or religious conference, adding that there has not been any international travel in recent years.

The York Region District School Board does not allow any trips outside of Ontario without prior approval of the board, and hasn’t had any travel outside of Canada. 

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board says trustees are not allowed to take trips outside of North America, and that pictures or statues of the saints or other holy figures associated with schools typically have been donated by the parish or community. There is a board-approved vendor if schools need to purchase crosses for classrooms.