• Health Minister Hoffman and Edmonton Public Chair Janz question ASBA expenses

CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling for the Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) to retroactively post its detailed expenses and receipts online, after obtaining documents claiming expenses on travel, staff perks and pricey office space are piling up.

The CTF has obtained emails from current Health Minister and former Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) chair Sarah Hoffman and current EPSB chair Michael Janz, questioning the ASBA for expensing hotel stays for people living in the same city, excessive flights between Calgary and Edmonton, “lovely” office space at more than 20 times the possible rent in surplus schools, travel and retreats with questionable benefit to students.

“School boards send millions of tax dollars to the ASBA each year, so it is crucial that the ASBA is spending on items that benefit students, not staff perks,” said CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson.

In late October, Janz wrote to the ASBA asking why the ASBA president has traveled to the US on seven occasions over the past two years.

Michael Janz resigned from his role as Vice-President of the ASBA in May, due to the ASBA’s lack of fiscal restraint.

The CTF is questioning the utility of ASBA president, Helen Clease, and executive director, Scott McCormack, traveling to Washington, DC, to attend a conference on US lobbying. According to an email from Mr. Janz they landed at 12:20pm and the conference ended at 5:00pm the same day. The conference cost $695 USD per person on top of travel, per diems and hotels. 

The CTF notes that the ASBA will start disclosing expenses come January 1^st.

“It’s good the ASBA will be posting expenses online in January,” said MacPherson. “But considering some of the concerns raised by Janz and Hoffman about excessive travel to the United States, we want to see detailed receipts going back five years.”

In February, then-EPSB chair Sarah Hoffman emailed the ASBA asking for a spending review and more budget detail to ensure students are benefitting. 

Hoffman noted the ASBA is spending $198 per square metre on “lovely” office space (with a view of the federal building), when they could rent non-profit office space from Edmonton Public Schools for $9.50 per square metre – over 20 times less expensive. 

Hoffman warned the ASBA shouldn’t be expensing hotels for people who live in those same cities. The same issue caused a scandal for Toronto school board trustees in 2013. “It is my understanding that in the past there was an Edmonton-based off-site retreat with all members (including those who live in Edmonton) staying in hotels and alcohol might have been included,” Hoffman noted in the email.

The CTF is also calling for Education Minister David Eggen to withhold Alberta Education grant funding to the ASBA until such time they disclose their past five years of expenses. The ASBA has received $1.8 million from Alberta Education over the past three years.

In her email Hoffman also wrote, “association staff and board members regularly travel by air between Calgary and Edmonton.”

“Money should go into classrooms, not flights between Calgary and Edmonton because staff didn’t want to take the bus,” said MacPherson. “Surely hiring more teachers is a larger priority.”

The CTF is also calling on Service Alberta Minister Danielle Larivee to ensure all school board associations are subject to freedom of information requests. The ASBA is funded largely by school boards, which are entirely funded by taxpayers. The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association is a similar umbrella organization for cities and they are covered by the FOIP Act.

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For more information:

CTF Alberta Director Paige MacPherson
cell: 403-478-7184, email: [email protected]