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And while not all boards are in the same precarious financial situation, he said he’s “putting all boards on notice ... you’d better be spending (funding) to give our students the best opportunity to succeed.”

The move comes after public outcry over a pricey retreat taken by administrators in Thames Valley, and a $150,000 trip to Italy last summer by four Brant Catholic trustees — Calandra said both situations demonstrated “horrific judgment” — and as some boards face deficits in the tens of millions as they work on upcoming budgets.

Ongoing deficits at the º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøpublic and Catholic boards are among Calandra’s concerns, as well as the Ottawa-Carleton public board depleting its reserves, so he’s asked for reports on all three by May 30. 

Boards, however, have said that despite provincial funding at a high of $29 billion, it has not kept up with inflation and increasing operational costs, as well as some issues beyond their control that affect their bottom lines.

The º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøCatholic board “continues to face financial challenges due to unfunded sick leave costs, statutory benefits and legacy local commitments tied up in collective agreements, as well as the provincial moratorium on school closures” that could help cut costs amid a $66 million deficit” on its $1.2 billion budget, said Chair Markus de Domenico.

His board, like a number of others, has seen huge increases in absenteeism among teachers and staff, and about two-thirds of its deficit is related to unfunded sick leave costs. 

“The º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøCatholic District School Board continues to remain committed to responsibly managing public funds,” and has already found more than $80 million in savings, de Domenico said. “Every dollar possible should be spent on student achievement.” 

A recent report from the province’s auditor general noted that the º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøDistrict School Board — the largest in the country — could save $24 million if it better managed staff absences.

Board Chair Neethan Shan said it “will be fully co-operating with the investigation” and that staff have already “identified several areas with opportunities to reduce spending and find efficiencies” that will be presented to trustees next week.

“It is important to note that while trustees will continue reviewing the budget to find savings, we have already cut millions of dollars from the (board) budget over recent years in the face of significant financial challenges that impact our ability to meet student needs,” Shan said. He added that large, urban boards have been “disproportionately” hit by “unfunded increases in statutory benefits (e.g. Canada Pension Plan, Employment Insurance), teacher salaries that are higher than the ministry funding benchmarks, and the provincial moratorium on school closures.”

Provincial funding has fallen by $1,500 per student, when inflation is taken into account, he added, a figure the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has previously cited.

said the board and province should work together to determine if the TDSB has a “structural funding deficit” and the role of the board’s unique circumstances. The board and ministry agreed to work together to achieve financial stability.

On Wednesday, Calandra also released the results of a probe into a controversial field trip — taken by º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøDistrict School Board elementary and secondary classes last September where children ended up marching in a protest — which found proper processes were not followed and showed “a lack of judgment and poor planning for student emotional safety.”

The ministry will soon be sending a yet-to-be-named supervisor in to run the Thames Valley District School Board after administrators there took part in a $40,000 º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøretreat, and is demanding the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic board deliver a plan to get its finances under control after trustees went to Italy to purchase religious artwork for schools. 

Calandra said the Brant board is mired in dysfunction and needs better oversight, and he is expecting immediate action.

Last August, Thames Valley officials spent three days in º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøat the former SkyDome hotel, despite being in the red and making cuts to classrooms. The board also gave senior staff raises that don’t comply with provincial legislation, Calandra said.

In Brant Haldimand Norfolk, the four Catholic trustees not only took the trip to Europe last July to purchase statues and crosses for schools, but then spent a further $63,000 in legal fees after the controversy erupted.

A recent governance review of that board “clearly outlines governance dysfunction with the board and significant shortcomings in their financial oversight and purchasing processes,” the Education Ministry said in a written statement.

Calandra said “we have been clear — transparency and accountability from Ontario school boards is mandatory. Further actions will be taken if the situation at these school boards does not improve.”

When asked if rules, especially around travel, could be implemented province-wide, he told reporters that “everything is on the table.”