Surrey’s seven-member board of education claimed more than $27,700 in expenses – on top of their annual pay – during the 2013-2014 school year.
The expenses, which are slightly higher than last year, are included in the district’s recently released Statement of Financial Information (SOFI), which are posted online at surreyschools.ca (the site will be down for maintenance Dec. 22 and 23, however).
Topping the spending by the elected officials was Trustee Laurae McNally, who submitted expenses totalling $6,769, $900 more than the year prior.
The next-highest spender was Trustee Shawn Wilson, the board’s chairperson, who had a tab of just over $5,000, $1,200 less than he spent last year.
Trustee Terry Allen had a bill of $4,331, while former Trustees Charlene Dobie and Reni Masi and vice-chairperson Laurie Larsen’s expenses all hovered around $3,000. Former Trustee Pam Glass, who was unwell for much of the year, had the lowest expenses at $1,477.
Car and fuel costs, conferences and registration fees generally account for the bulk of the expenses, which are in addition to the board members’ wages.
Remuneration for the seven trustees totalled $215,900, with each receiving $30,200 annually. The chair and vice-chair get an additional $3,000 and $1,500, respectively.
The salaries of principals, teachers, management and support staff cost the Surrey School District about $431 million between June 2013 and June 2014. That amount is down by about $17 million from the year prior. A further $1.4 million in expenses was claimed by employees.
The SOFI report publishes the names and wages of employees who earn more than $75,000 per year – a list of more than 2,000 people whose earnings total about $140 million. The earnings of those in the school district who make less than $75,000 was about $291 million.
The Surrey School District has more than 10,000 people, including about 5,600 teachers.
