Toronto Catholic board officially out of supervision

TORONTO - After two-and-a-half years of provincial supervision, the Toronto Catholic District School Board has officially regained its local powers.

“All of us share a strong commitment to publicly funded Catholic education, and we collectively have a vision for the Toronto Catholic District School Board that focuses on student achievement, fiscal responsibility and public accountability,” said board chair Ann Andrachuk in a statement after the board officially took charge of its affairs again on Jan. 28.

In 2008, the province took over the board after it failed to balance its budget. A government-sponsored report into the board’s finances also discovered trustee expense mismanagement and criticized the board for operating within a “culture of entitlement.”

In June that year, the board’s first supervisor, Norbert Hartmann, was named by the provincial government. Hartmann authored two reports, including “Enhancing Public Trust and Confidence” and “Strengthening Public Trust and Confidence: A Call to Stewardship and Service,” chastising trustees for their expense accounts.

He resigned a year later. Richard Alway, president of Toronto's Pontifical Institute for Medieval Studies, was then appointed as his replacement.

“We are looking to the future. The board already has a three-year plan in place, which has established stability and solid financial controls. We can build on this and map out the road for years to come,” Andrachuk said.

“Together with the senior team and the entire staff of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, we will continue to work towards restoring public confidence in our board.”