Toronto School Rocked By Spending Scandal
Posted April 9, 2010 7:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A fundraising scandal is plaguing one Toronto school.
Linda Leduc and Christina Lawrence are the co-chairs of the Owen Public School Parent Council. Every year the school’s parents raise about $70,000 to help with costs.
But the two claim a discrepancy with the school account in 2004-2009, administered by the principal Steve Howard.
“There’s an initial reaction of betrayal, you’re hurt by it. And then more importantly you start thinking, we’re doing all this for the children,” said Leduc.
During this time, the school requested and was awarded $16,800 for teachers and their expenses. But not all teachers have received their funds.
An additional $19,800 was allocated for field trip subsidies. Leduc and Lawrence say some kids are fully subsidized, and some partially. But they have yet to see how that money will be spent.
More than $2,000 was to be spent on whiteboards, which have not appeared.
The math, French immersion and library department were to receive $13, 000. Apparently some of or all of this money has not made it to these areas.
Caretaker services were to see $5,800 whenever the school was used for an event. The Toronto District School Board paid for the cost.
In all, this list adds up to $57,600 that is in question.
The Toronto District School Board responded to the charged and issued a statement, saying:
“There were irregularities in the management of the funds. The investigation is internal and on-going; the police are not involved.”
The TDSB also said that the principal in question, Steve Howard, has since retired.
The board will be holding a meeting for concerned parents April 19.
