Board Procedures

The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that all Board meetings of The Northwest Catholic District School Board are conducted efficiently and effectively, whether they are held in person or electronically.

This procedure aims to provide clear guidelines and standards for the use of technology to facilitate electronic meetings, ensuring that all Trustees, staff, and community members can participate fully and equitably.

By adhering to the requirements of Ontario Regulation 463/97, this procedure ensures that electronic meetings contribute positively to the work of the Board and comply with legal standards.

Additionally, this procedure outlines the responsibilities of participants, the requirements for attendance, and the protocols for maintaining confidentiality and order during meetings. Ultimately, this procedure supports the Board's commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective governance.

This Procedure applies to all TNCDSB Trustees, community members and staff.  

Staff or Trustees with questions or concerns about this Procedure should contact their Manager/Supervisor or Human Resources.

Members of the public with questions or concerns about this Procedure should contact the Office of the Director.

Ontario Regulation 313/24

Ontario Regulation 463/97

The Education Act, RSO 1990 c.E.2. Section 229(1) (Sect 208.1), 208(10)

Operational By-Law 100 (4.1-4.10) & 400

The Trustees will perform their duties as Catholic School Trustees to the best of their abilities. To assist Trustees attending conventions, conferences and seminars, a budget for Trustee travel and expense reimbursement will be developed annually as part of the budget 
process.

This Procedure applies to all TNCDSB Trustees of the Board who are located in Ontario. This Policy will continue in effect but is subject to change and may be amended from time to time, as necessary, and at the sole discretion of the Board.

3.1 Approval Procedures for Professional Development and Travel

3.1.1 Attendance and travel at the professional development activities listed below are 
approved through this procedure:

a) OCSTA – Annual General Meeting
b) OCSTA – January seminar for Catholic School Trustees
c) OCSTA – Labour Relations Seminars
d) Thunder Bay Diocesan Catholic School Trustees’ Association/OCSTA Regional 
Meeting
e) CCSTA – Annual General Meeting

3.1.2 Requests to attend conferences or other travel, other than those listed in Section 3.1.1, must be approved by the Board. Permission to travel will be approved by a Board motion. In the event that the timing of the Board meeting will create a problem, approval may be given by the Chair in consultation with the Vice-chair and Director of Education. The approval will be confirmed by the Board at its next regular meeting.

3.1.3 Approvals
Role                                                 Approval Level
Trustee                                            Chair or Vice-chair
Vice-Chair                                       Chair
Chair                                               Vice-Chair

3.2 Travel Inside of the TNCDSB Boundaries

3.2.1 Eligible travel inside board boundaries shall, under normal circumstances, be by Board vehicle (preferred), personal vehicle or rental vehicle. Where rental vehicles are used, the most economical vehicle available must be rented unless specific approval is granted in adherence to section 3.9.
3.2.2 Claims for expenses must be made within ten (10) working days of returning from the activity. If a Trustee cannot provide extenuating circumstances for not submitting claims on time, it may be disallowed.
3.2.3 Trustees will make every effort to share vehicles when travelling on Board business.

3.3 Travel outside of TNCDSB Regional Boundaries

3.3.1 Trustees shall use commercial carriers when traveling outside the Board's 
jurisdiction. Reimbursement will be limited to the cost of economy-class tickets.
To ensure the most cost-effective use of resources, Trustees are encouraged to 
book travel well in advance to secure lower fares.
Optional travel or cancellation insurance is considered a personal expense and 
will not be reimbursed.
3.3.2 If a Trustee travels between the same point of origin and destination and decides 
to use a personal vehicle, the amount eligible for reimbursement to the vehicle 
owner is the lesser of:

a) The appropriate economy fare including taxes and fees for the Trustee as 
established from the lowest-fare airline website from Winnipeg or Thunder Bay 
to the destination site by providing a printed copy of the lowest rates shown 
30 or more days before or after the day of travel. Mileage will be paid from 
the place of origin to the nearest airport servicing the destination.
b) Mileage allowance at the rate established by the Board procedure C-02 Staff 
Travel and Expense Reimbursement.

3.3.3 Any travel outside Canada must be pre-approved by the Board.

3.4 Billing

3.4.1 Trustees are to pay for and claim reimbursement for their own expenses only. Invoices may be directed to the Board for the following items:

a) Air fare;
b) Hotel accommodation; and,
c) Registration fees.
In such cases, the expense must be reported on the Trustee’s expense claim report and payment reported as “paid by the Board”.

3.4.2 Where the Trustee and/or employees ride together, the Trustee/employee operating the vehicle must claim the mileage.

3.5 Statement of Expenses/Completion of Expense Claim Reports

3.5.1 Except for regular, routine mileage claims, which shall be submitted at least monthly, an expense claim report (Form C-02-04, Expense Claim Report) must be submitted within ten (10) working days of the Trustee’s return from travel or from 
the date of purchase in the case of a purchase.
3.5.2 Statements of travel expenses and purchases are to be entered in Forms Management or on an electronic copy of the Expense Claim Report (Form C-02-04, Expense Claim Report) and submitted with all supporting original, itemized 
receipts attached. If an itemized receipt is not obtained at the time of purchase, it is the responsibility of the Trustee to contact the vendor for a replacement itemized receipt. If a receipt cannot be obtained after contacting the vendor, the 
Trustee must complete form C-02-08 – Missing Itemized Receipt and submit it with the expense claim report. Receipts are not required if claiming the meal allowance.

3.5.3 Original receipts are required for the following:

d) Accommodation;
e) Transportation fare – rail, air, bus, vehicle rental, taxi;
f) Registration fees (including listing of meals provided by the conference/meeting) –provide a copy of the activity agenda;
g) Receipts must show the amount of HST/GST/PST paid;

3.5.4 The completed Expense Claim Report must be approved by the approver as per Section 3.1.3 of this Procedure.
3.6 Eligible Amounts
3.6.1 The following guidelines shall be used in determining the amount eligible for reimbursement of expenses;
3.6.2 Mileage will be reimbursed as per the established automobile allowance rate published by the Canada Revenue Agency, effective January 1 of each year. A separate rate will be reimbursed for the first 5,000 kilometres driven and a lower rate as established by the CRA for all kilometres beyond that amount.
3.6.3 The mileage between the following locations will be accepted (note distances 
are one-way).

a) Dryden/Fort Frances 190 km
b) Dryden/Sioux Lookout 100 km
c) Dryden/Thunder Bay 360 km
d) Dryden/Winnipeg 350 km 
e) Dryden/Kenora 140 km
f) Sioux Lookout/Thunder Bay 390 km 
g) Sioux Lookout/Winnipeg 450 km

h) Sioux Lookout/Kenora 235 km 
i) Fort Frances/Thunder Bay 350 km
j) Fort Frances/Winnipeg via Minnesota 360 km
via Kenora 460 km 
k) Fort Frances/Stratton 59 km 
l) Fort Frances/Kenora 215 km
m) Fort Frances/Rainy River 90 km
n) Atikokan/Fort Frances 150 km
o) Atikokan/Dryden 205 km
p) Atikokan/Thunder Bay 205 km
q) Atikokan/Sioux Lookout 245 km

3.7 Accommodation

3.7.1 Accommodation is for a standard room at regular corporate or government rates.If government or corporate rates are not available at the chosen hotel or motel, alternative accommodation should be sought where possible.
3.7.2 Where a Trustee chooses to stay with a friend or relative while travelling on Board business, a per diem of $50/day may be claimed on behalf of the host.

3.8 Meals

3.8.1 Trustees may only claim reimbursement for their own personal meals. Trustees may claim up to the maximum meal allowance of $95.00 (including all gratuities and taxes) per day, with each meal not exceeding the maximum amount identified below, unless otherwise specified.
3.8.2 Maximum allowable individual meal amounts (including gratuity) are:

Breakfast          $20.00
Lunch               $25.00
Supper             $50.00
Total                $95.00

3.8.3 When more than one meal is eligible for reimbursement on the same day, Trustees may combine the allowable amounts for those meals at their discretion. For example, it is acceptable to allocate the combined meal allowance toward one larger meal (e.g., combining breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, or breakfast and dinner).
However, the total amount claimed must not exceed the sum of the individual allowances for the meals being combined.
3.8.4 If only the meal allowance is claimed, no receipts are required. If a Board purchasing card has been used for a meal, receipts are required

3.8.5 If attending a ministry-funded event where travel expenses are billed back to the Ministry or entity, meal receipts must be retained to ensure appropriate invoicing and reimbursement collection.
3.8.6 All meal allowance claims must be approved by the Chair of the Board to be paid. The Chair of the Board shall have claims approved by the Vice-Chair.
3.8.7 Meal reimbursement may only be claimed if the meals are not included in the registration fees or otherwise already paid on the individual’s behalf.
3.8.8 In exceptional circumstances where the Trustee cannot reasonably purchase a meal within these limits, the Chair may approve an additional meal expense.
3.8.9 No reimbursement for alcoholic beverages shall be allowed.
3.8.10 Gratuities may not exceed 15% to 20% of the after-tax cost of the meal and are included in maximum allowable meal amounts in subsection 3.8.2.
3.8.11 Meals for participants in meetings extending over lunch or supper hours are permitted. Lunch may also be provided as part of a professional development day organized for Board Trustees, with the total cost of the meal not to exceed the 
lunch allowance multiplied by the number of participants attending the professional development. Detailed receipts are required with the event/meeting identified.
3.8.12 Break-time snacks may be provided during professional development activities if pre-approved by the Chair.

3.9 Air Travel
Air travel arrangements will be centrally coordinated and aligned with the schedule and requirements of the professional development event. Travel will not be arranged based on personal preferences or individual schedules.
The Board will cover the cost of basic economy-class fares. Any upgrades, including preferred seating or class upgrades, are the responsibility of the Trustee unless prior written approval is obtained from the Chair of the Board.
Exceptions may be considered in circumstances involving accessibility needs, extended travel durations, or health and safety considerations. All such exceptions must receive advance approval from the Chair of the Board.

3.10 Vehicle Rental

3.10.1 Approval to rent a vehicle must be obtained from a Trustee’s approver in 
advance of the vehicle rental unless in an emergency, where a Trustee may rent a 
vehicle and subsequently seek approval from the applicable approver.
3.10.2 Only an economy vehicle may be claimed as a vehicle rental, unless a larger 
vehicle is approved in advance by the Trustee’s approver.

3.10.3 The Trustee must purchase the damage waiver insurance. Fees for optional 
personal injury or contents insurance will not be covered.
3.10.4 Trustees may only claim the cost of the rental vehicle, fuel and damage waiver 
insurance. Mileage may not be claimed.
3.10.5 When returning a vehicle it must be refueled in accordance with the rental 
company’s policy.

3.11 Hospitality for Non-Board Employees and Trustees

3.11.1 Hospitality is the provision of food, beverage, accommodation, transportation and 
other amenities, at Board expense, to individuals who are not employed by the 
Board or other designated Broader Public Sector organizations, or any of the 
Ontario government ministries, agencies and public entities covered by the OPS 
Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive. Functions involving only 
employees of the Board are not considered hospitality.
3.11.2 An example of a hospitality expense would be engaging in Board business and/or 
discussions of official Board matters with National, International or Charitable 
Organizations or honouring distinguished individuals for their service.
3.11.3 Hospitality expenses should be reasonable and must be approved by the Chair 
prior to the occurrence of the activity. Expenditures must be supported by 
itemized receipts and the names of those participating must be clearly 
documented.

3.12 Outside Consultants and Contractors

3.12.1 Under the Broader Public Sector Expenses Directive, the Board is not allowed to 
reimburse consultants and contractors for any hospitality, food or incidental 
expenses. Examples of incidentals include personal telephone calls, meals, 
gratuities and gifts.

3.13 Review
This procedure is to be reviewed annually.

C-02, Staff Travel and Professional Development Expenses

C-02-04, Expense Claim Form

Education Act, RSO 1990, Chapter E.2, Section 171(1)17