B.C. Education Minister Mike Bernier orders another audit of Vancouver School Board

B.C. Education Minister Mike Bernierand Vancouver School Board Chair Mike Lombardi held duelling press conferences Thursday,asthe deadline for the VSB to submit a balanced budget came and went.

Bernier stopped short of firing VSB members but he did order a forensic audit of the VSB books.

"We need anunflinching look at the books and the board of governance," saidBernierat his Vancouvernews conference."Fifty-nineof 60 school districts havebalancedtheir budgets andagain it's Vancouver on this roller coaster."

Lombardi responded by saying the VSB welcomes the audit and will work with the auditors.

"I would prefer that the thousands of dollarsbeingspent on this audit would be spent on teaching and learning and kids in Vancouver," said Lombardi.

The VSB budget for the 2016-17 school year contains a $21.8 million shortfall. Under the provincial school act boards that fail to submit balanced budgets can be fired and replaced.

Yesterday the VSBrejected a proposal from the B.C. government to use money from the sale of the KingsgateMall lands in East Vancouver, which the VSB owns,to help decrease the deficit.

"The proposal wasto take up to $6 million out of capital asset proceeds and put them into the operating budget. That's the equivalent of takingout a second mortgage to buy your groceries," said Lombardi.

The VSB currently receive $750,000 annually in lease revenue from the KingsgateMall lands.

Vancouver Mayor GregorRobertson urged the two sides to "find a way forward," pointing out Vancouver is the most complex of all the school districts in the province.

"In 2015, for the first time, Vancouver provided more in school taxes ($463 million) than it received in provincial funding ($448 million) a loss of $15 million," said Roberston in a statement.

Last year, the provincial governmentcommissioned a225-page Ernst& Youngaudit of the Vancouver School Board that suggested the district could save $37 million per year byclosing 19 schools.

Berniersaid that the newaudit ordered today would "ensure the close to half a billion dollars taxpayers invest in the district is going to support students."