A trip to China for several school trustees that cost nearly $50,000 wasn't paid for by B.C. taxpayers and helped sell School District 43's international education program to Chinese parents, according to board chair Judy Shirra.
China's education arm Hanban footed the $47,000 bill for six local trustees to meet with officials and families interested in sending their children to Tri-City public schools.
The funds are listed as expenses for SD43 trustees in the latest statement of financial information (SOFI) report for the 2014/’15 school year.
Not only did the money for the trip not come from school district operating funds, Shirra said as a result, more foreign students attending schools here — and paying a $13,000 fee for their education.
"The benefits are huge," said the Port Coquitlam trustee. "We're getting people coming to our district because they see the government politicians are involved in the schools. The know and see us and know we care. They're entrusting their children to us — that was a huge wakeup call for our trustees."
Some parents even knew what school they wanted their teens to attend, with Port Moody — which has an international baccalaureate program — Heritage Woods and Pinetree secondary schools among the top choices.
Shirra said the district is currently at capacity when it comes to attracting foreign students, with some 1,700 enrolling this year (not all of them from China), which is up from the 1,300 students that were expected.
She said the district gets a lot of benefit from foreign students attending local schools, including money to pay down its debt, hire additional teachers and put on special programs for schools that host the students.
"Right now, it's going to pay off our debt really quickly, but you can't depend on it," Shirra said, adding that a global financial crisis or other disaster could easily stop the flow of foreign students to local schools.
The trip cost $7,860 per person and was paid for by Hanban through the Confucius Institute in Coquitlam but is listed in SOFI as an expense.
TRUSTEE PAY
Meanwhile, the SOFI report shows that in the last fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, SD43 had 15 school trustees on the payroll because of the overlap caused by some trustees not getting re-elected last November and new trustees taking their place.
The long-serving trustees — including Shirra, Port Moody trustee Keith Watkins and Coquitlam's Diane Sowden, who were all re-elected, received more than $40,000 each.
Trustees' pay is based on the average pay of city councillors in Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam, and adjusted Jan. 1 based on councillor's indemnities in effect at that time. In October, PoCo voted to adjust pay if the the Consumer Price Index increases; if their pay rises, SD43 trustee pay could follow suit.
The remaining trustee payouts were as follows for those who were re-elected in the November 2014 election:
• Shirra, chair — $42,509.93 ($9,289.81in expenses);
• Sowden — $40,278.94 ($446.25);
• Watkins — $40,278.94 ($8,303.64).
Payments to new trustees:
• Carol Cahoon (Coquitlam) — $22,308.34 ($1,707.44);
• Chuck Denison (Coquitlam) — $22,308.34 ($9,258.17);
• Barbara Hobson (Coquitlam) — $22,308.34 ($9,607.06);
• Kerri Palmer Isaak, vice-chair (Anmore and Belcarra) — $23,423.91 ($446.25);
• Lisa Park (Port Moody) — $22,308.34 ($9,030.37);
• Michael Thomas (PoCo) — $22,308.34 ($9,547.90).
And payments to trustees who did not run or were not re-elected last fall:
• Gail Alty (Coquitlam) — $17,970.60;
• Holly Butterfield (the villages) — $18,869.25;
• Melissa Hyndes, former chair (PoMo) — $19,767.79;
• John Keryluk (PoCo) — $17,970.60;
• Brian Robinson (Coquitlam) — $17,970.60.
