Tighten up expenses: Trustee

By DON PEAT, TORONTO SUN

One Toronto public trustee is trying to toughen the board's new trustee expe nse rules.

Trustee Josh Matlow wants his fellow Toronto District School Board trustees to be more accountable for the taxpayers' dollars they spend to travel outside Ontario to attend conferences.

$2.4B TDSB Plan

Natalie Alcoba,  National Post

The Toronto District School Board approved a multi-billion-dollar budget for the next school year that staff said shifted more resources to its neediest students without firing teachers or cutting programs.

The $2.4-billion budget hires 142 more ESL teachers, 12 more numeracy coaches, invests more money into aboriginal programs and safe schools initiatives and also injects $5-million into an inner city schools project that has improved student performance.

But some trustees challenged the perception that the balanced budget would not affect students negatively. "I think we need to be clear that we are in fact making cuts," said trustee Chris Bolton, who expressed concerns about spending on special education and continuing education. The board voted earlier this year to cut intensive reading clinics, and this budget assumes that 23 school pools will close in September.

Kris Rushowy, The Toronto Star

For the first time in years Toronto District School Board Trustees easily – and quickly – passed a deficit-free budget.

All but one trustee voted to approve a $2.35 billion budget for Canada's largest school board in about half an hour late yesterday evening.

Earlier this year the deficit forecast was about $80 million, although after moving $40 million that was supposed to be used for building maintenance out of their capital budget to their operating budget, it was cut in half.