School board troubles on minister's radar

Legislation will be changed if necessary to settle problems with trustees of P.E.I.'s Eastern School District, says Education Minister Doug Currie.

Owen Parkhouse, the president of the Home and School Association, expressed his concern about dysfunction in the school board, after attending a meeting this week he described as a three and a half hour clash between the board chair Bob Clowand trustees.

"I would even question the legality of what the board is doing right now, considering that it is public funds they have been given by the government to use for our children," Parkhouse told CBC News on Friday.

"I don't think the word child or children was used once in the board meeting."

Currie said he has been aware of the trouble at the board for some time.

"We put some resources in to allow them to bring in a mediator to allow them to work through some of their challenges. That obviously has failed; obviously I'm concerned as the minister," he told CBC News Thursday.

"The question I need to ask and have more conversations on is, is the behaviour of the Eastern School District trustees impacting learning in classrooms in the Eastern School District."

Currie said if the trustee behaviour is having an impact in classrooms he will act to solve the problem. That is something he will be looking into further, he said.

He plans to meet with the school board to talk about the issue.

Currie noted he doesn't have the authority under existing legislation to do anything, but that legislation can be changed.

Trustee Edna Reid said she doesn't want to see the board disbanded but she agreed major change is needed. Shesaid P.E.I. should follow the example of Nova Scotia's troubled Strait Regional School Board.

"They did have a look at what the problems were and there were real problems. There was definitely some leadership problems and they put measures in place to deal with that," Reid said.

In addition to the clash between chair and trustees, Parkhouse said can't understand why the board had a lawyer sitting next to the board chair Bob Clow to help with rules of order.

Clow did not return calls for comment on Friday.

Parkhouse said it's unacceptable and the minister has to take action.

"I think if he has a board that's not functioning to the degree that it should be then he has every right to take that board and say, right, you are a representative of the public in that you are elected officials and you're dealing with public funds," said Parkhouse.

"If that's not happening properly then I don't know what sort of options are open to him but I'm sure he can hold them accountable."

Parkhouse said he'll be discussing the issue with the Home and School Federation at a meeting next week. He hopes they'll be in favour of sending a letter to Education Minister Doug Currie asking for a full investigation.