School trustees say they have paid back pricey Italy trip

Were four trustees with the Brantford-Haldimand Catholic School Board able to meet the deadline to pay back a pricey Italian trip? CTV’s Heather Senoran reports

Some trustees from the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board said they have paid back their portion of a pricey trip to Italy.

In July 2024, four trustees racked up a bill of nearly $190,000 when they flew to Italy to buy religious artwork for two new schools. Some of that cost has been attributed to legal fees paid to manage the fallout after the controversial trip became public.

The Ministry of Education ordered a review of the school board, including the trip. The resulting report found Trustees Richard Petrella, Dan Dignard, William Chopp and Mark Watson spent money on luxury cars, high-end hotel stays and fancy dinners at a Michelin star restaurant.

• Luxury cars, pricey hotel stays and a limo ride home: what happened when school board trustees went to Italy? – CTVNews

All four trustees agreed to repay all expenses they incurred during the trip, with Petrella, Dignard and Chopp owing $12,666 while Watson was on the hook for $12,370.

On Friday, Chopp shared a letter he had sent to the ministry.

“When invited to travel to Italy on a prearranged business trip to procure religious statues and artifacts for our two new schools, I was assured that the trip was budget compliant and the statue purchases aligned with board goals,” the letter said, in part.

Chopp said it wasn’t until later that year that he realized they had overspent.

“I acknowledged that the overall travel cost of the trip exceeded what I understood to be within the Trustee budget allocation,” he said.

Paying it back

Initially, it was expected it would take years for the trustees to pay back the thousands of dollars they owed, but Minister of Education Paul Calandra ordered the amounts owing for the trustees’ travel expenses be repaid fully within 30 days on April 23.

Chopp said he, Petrella and Dignard have paid back their balances in full, but he wasn’t sure what Watson had done.

Chopp was the only trustee who responded to CTV News’ request for comment.

Board reduces debt

According to a report presented at a special school board meeting this week, the board had negotiated with the Italian sculptor commissioned to make the art.

The artist originally sent a contract for €48,000, approximately $72,000 CAD, for the art.

“To date, the board has been able to reduce the debt to $37,700 and will continue its attempts to further reduce this amount,” the report said.

The school board has also previously said they are looking for private donors to help cover the cost of the artwork. However, the author of the review ordered by the Ministry of Education said there had been no evidence to confirm any donations has been made.

“The trustees will attempt to solicit donations from private donors, Catholic organizations and diocesan organizations,” the board said.

They hope to fully eliminate all costs to the board by September 2025.