The former trustees with the Near North District School Board have given the new trustees a $1.4 million surplus.
Former board chairman Dave Thompson says staff deserve the credit for the surplus for the 2017-18 school year.
Thompson says the frontline staff were given instructions to not only set the budget but also not to overspend.
Additionally, they were told in the event of a surplus, they were not to spend it “recklessly”.
“This is what we’re supposed to do with taxpayers’ money,” Thompson said.
He adds the surplus was achieved without sacrificing any student programs.
Thompson also says it shows the board is a well-run corporation “contrary to what happened during the election where we were accused of being incompetent.”
“We were lambasted because we were incompetent but this proves that we’re not,” Thompson said.
“The board is well run and our students are well served.”
Thompson has some advice for the new board and that advice is “trust the staff”.
“They have to know the staff are on their side,” he said.
