An Ontario school trustee targeted for dismissal by the provincial education minister has now stepped down. Mark Watson, part of a group of four trustees from the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, traveled to Italy on a $45,000 trip to purchase $100,000 worth of art for the board. This controversial journey, among others, has been highlighted by Education Minister Paul Calandra as an example of public fund mismanagement in certain school boards, prompting a call for governance reform.
While three trustees reimbursed their travel expenses, Calandra stated that Watson failed to fully repay his share and still owes over $12,000. To address this, Calandra introduced a bill on Monday aimed at terminating Watson and prohibiting him from serving as a trustee at any Ontario school board until 2030. Calandra expressed regret that legislative action was necessary for Watson to rectify the situation, emphasizing the government’s commitment to upholding accountability and integrity in education.
In response, Calandra emphasized the outstanding debt owed by Watson to the school board, urging him to fulfill the payment. He criticized the diversion of funds from student achievement to fund extravagant overseas trips for disconnected school board members. While Watson has not provided a comment, the board confirmed his resignation last Friday.