Jmbudsman finds for school board Chairman says report shows ministry screw up Michael Becker News Editor michacl@nsnews.com THE provincial ombudsman released a decision Thursday on a complaint that the North Vancouver School Board was unfairly fired in 1996. School trustee Guy Heywood, chairman of the fired board, sees the result of ombudsman ‘Dulcie McCallum’s investigation as Vindication. Said McCallum, “I am satisfied that a situation. of the ministry taking steps to _have a school board prema- > turely ‘removed because it is . 7 experiencing serious financial ; challenges should not occur inthe future.” yen January of 1996, then education ~ minister.» Art Charbonneau fired District “44's seven clected : trustees for... refusing. -to retire : “$500, 000 worth of debt and >for, being unwilling or unabiz “to deal with the district’s $5- thillion accumulated deficit. Former: trustees said the: ‘school district was badly “Entrance f in eat ne Barrister & Solicitor - 30 years experience (ORTGAGE INVESTORS i. Let me help you . with your problems. * Mon. Sat. W1-Gpm Suny 12-5 pm underfunded. They pointed to a government report known as tke Technical Distribution Report chat showed the school district was being short-changed $1.5 million a year. The board was replaced with government-appointed trustee Bob Smith on an interim basis. The former school board had complained to the ombudsman that its removal from office was excessive and unfair. The board argued that it had exhausted all available remedies to address irs finan- cial troubles. The board also sa‘d that the ministry of education failed to provide any. assis- tance even though there had been many requests by the school board trustees. McCallum - found | an absence of any known pclicy or procedure. that school boards could -aceess when they needed “enabling” sup- port from the ministry. The ombudsman recom- -mended the ministry develop a policy which would guide officials. at the bureaucratic and ministerial level, as well as inform school boards and their staff abour the proce- rani reed Cie faten, scelch-gartes faten cave, __ Bilas and piles covers. bile quanbties ast 267 €. ist. N.Van 904-4504 dures that would be imple- mented when a school board asks for help in managing its financial challenges. Heywood said the school board had in 1995 asked for field advisory staff from the education ministry for assis- tance with its rask of attempt- ing to cur $1.5 million trom its budget. “We were being asked to make cuts because money hadn’s showed up that we were entitled to. “By implication — it’s (McCallum’s decision) saying they had no process. They acted capriciously and they” re admitting they screwed up.” Said “McCallum, “The ministry is committed to exploring solutions to the financial problems of school boards through the Efficiency Advisory Teams (EAT).” Ihe ministry has estab- lished) EATs which can be brought in to advise either the schoo! board or the min- istry. In oa press release McCallum said her report on the complaint was delayed “due to the desire on the part of the ombudsman to ensure the EAT were in place and appropriately designed see —— NEWS photo red Ledwidge Memories past and present THE oil paintings of Douglas Rae and the fabric folk art of Judy Rae will be on view at West Vancouver's Silk Purse Gallery, 1570 Argyle Ave., from June 9 to 21. to meet her recommenda- tion.” The firing and deficit issue provided heated points of contention during the elec- tion campaign for the present school board in North Vancouver. Former fired board mem- bers Pat Heal, Guy Heywood and Barb MacLellan went on to be re-elected. The trustees maiatained that they did. not mismanage the board’s $§100-million budget. DRIVE-THRU CHL CHANGE PROFESSIONALS {wy IMFEAPIDLUBE No appointment necessa: blus taxes & envira levy dncludes 21 point salety inspection Engine antifreeze « Windshield washer Haid « Power steering fluid Mon.~ Hf + Teansmission fluid © Brake tluld expices dune X98 LONSDALE & 13TH fesh & tit “ganeepm fen ’ CAR AND TRUCK RAKTALS North Shore Owned & Operated Full steps to dealing with ICBC ay] i. Gathering evidence to determine fault and the amount of ' damages 2. Assessing the evidence to determine who is at fault and the proper amount of money to be paid iti compensation for - damages and No-Fault benefits. 3. 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