School trustee fears he's being used as 'pawn' in vote to close school

A trustee in the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) blasted his own board Friday for its handling of an internal conflict of interest investigation and the decision to close one of its three schools in Maple..

Woodbridge Trustee Dino Giuliani said he fears he's being used as a "pawn" in the debate over closing Our Lady of Peace Catholic Elementary School, which is at 97 per cent capacity.

"As a veteran trustee, I've seen things in the past, but I've never seen anything like this before," said Giuliani, who has been a Trustee in the YCDSB for 20 years.

"We need to stop this process right now ... start over again and do it right."

CBC Toronto reported exclusive details Thursday of at least two internal investigations underway at his board, relating to the ongoing debate over shutting Our Lady of Peace (OLP), and sending its students to Father John Kelly Catholic Elementary School (FJK) or Blessed Trinity Catholic Elementary School (BT).

The first investigation, launched Jan. 24, will investigate an email from BT's principal dated Sept. 2, 2016, where she wrote: "OLP will close."

In a report to trustees last September, board staff argued that declining enrolment means there's no justification for maintaining three elementary schools in south Maple and since OLP is the smallest and oldest of the three, it should be the one that's closed.

But that report was also released weeks after the principal's email was sent and trustees, including Giuliani, are not even set to vote on the school closure until Feb. 28, 2017.

"It certainly means to me that this is already a predetermined scenario or it suggests that," Giuliani said. "I am not going to that board table voting on something that's predetermined. I do not appreciate being treated as a pawn here."

Late Friday, the board issued a statement in which the principal acknowledged she issued that email in error, saying she deeply regretted it. 

"I miscommunicated what I learned in the verbal briefing and I deeply regret this oversight," she said.

The letter goes on to say the board is committed to a "fair and transparent" process and maintained no decision has yet been made about the school.

The second investigation is looking into Trustee Teresa Ciaravella and a home daycare she operates close to FJK.

Giuliani said he knew OLP parents complained Ciaravella's daycare would benefit from FJK remaining open and students from OLP being transferred there, but the board had not made him aware it had launched an investigation --- and still hasn't. 

"I believe I am entitled to have any sort of information regarding any sort of investigation," he said. "Only the courts can really determine if a trustee is in conflict of interest, however prudence avoidance would suggest that perhaps given that there is some evidence to suggest one should step aside [from the vote]."

Giuliani is now calling for that investigation to be expanded to include a phone bill Ciaravella charged to the board.

Records show for Dec 2014 to Dec 2015, Ciaravella charged $1,010.02 for her home phone, which is also the location of her daycare.

"As a business owner myself I do not charge the school board back for my business phone line at all," he said. "I believe that's an improper use—- an irresponsible use of public funds and it should be investigated."

$7,200 fee to access public records 'absolutely ridiculous' 

Families at OLP submitted a Freedom Of Information (FOI) request to the YCDSB for all emails including 20 key words between a number of different parties, including a board superintendent, trustee Teresa Ciaravella and another trustee.

The chief information officer at the board estimated there would be 6,272 pages of records included in that response and the total fee to process them would be $7,249.80.

But Trustee Giuliani said he frequently submits FOI requests and is only ever charged a $5 application fee.

"So I find it absolutely ridiculous that you don't charge trustees for FOI, yet you're charging back the public," he said.

Ciaravella has not yet responded to repeated phone calls and emails from CBC Toronto.