School helps pay head's Koru Club membership

Mercury Bay Area School principal John Wrigh. Photo / Supplied

The principal of the school where a teacher taped shut the mouths of two children has been spending school money on membership of Air New Zealand's exclusive Koru Club.

The Herald has obtained a copy of Mercury Bay Area School's expenses for August which shows it paid $180.50 towards the fee for John Wright's access to the airline's airport lounges.

The principal was also reimbursed $612.69 for fuel for trips to look at other schools' gyms, attend an area schools national conference in Rotorua and an international student marketing conference in Auckland.

Chairwoman Erin Kropidlowski, whose board of trustees approves the school's expenses, defended paying half of Mr Wright's Koru Club fee.

She said the principal regularly flew to Wellington to attend meetings of the Area Schools Executive Committee and the Principals' Ministerial Broadband Reference Group.

"The membership gives him benefit in terms of a meal [which he doesn't claim back from the school], cheaper flights, and the ability to change flights reasonably easy as required," she said.

Ms Kropidlowski was also reimbursed $400 to cover extraordinary travel costs travelling to and from the school in recent times, which from her home to the school would equate to nine extra times. The expenses were approved by the board in September.

The Herald understands staff at the school are frustrated with expenses like this being claimed while complaining that their own budgets have been slashed - but the board disputed this and said they had not been cut since they were set in November/December for the following year.

Ministry of Education group manager Jeremy Wood said a principal's expenses were a matter between the principal and board of trustees.

He said boards were expected to have policies that ensured effective and efficient financial management of their schools but the ministry provided guidance for model policies.

This included the principal taking into account whether the spending benefited student outcomes, represented best value for money, could be justified to a taxpayer or parent and the public reaction if it appeared in the media.

Labour MP Sue Moroney said it was unusual for a school to pay for a principal's Koru Club membership and school heads usually did not need to travel in New Zealand a lot.

The Whitianga school was cleared of a number of complaints this year in a report by a limited statutory manager who left last month, but Ms Moroney said she was continuing to receive complaints from parents concerned about the school management.

"When parents are going public with their concerns about their schools, it tells me the relationship between the parents and the school has become quite dysfunctional and it is time for the minister to have a serious look at what is occurring at the school."

UPDATE (July 11, 2012): The Complaints Assessment Committee of the Teachers Council has investigated the alleged mouths-taped incident and are satisfied that this did not take place. The allegations are inaccurate. The Committee said further that they are of the view that Pat Doube is an exceptional teacher.