Head of German language school wants answers after 'out of this world' rent hike from school board

The board president of a German language school in London is looking for answers after he received a rental contract from the Thames Valley District School Board charging quadruple the amount the non-profit previously paid to rent classrooms during the school year.

Roland Hofner says he was shocked to learn the cost to rent Montcalm Secondary School for four hours on Saturday mornings will be nearly $22,000. 

"We are absolutely in no position to pay that much. We're already struggling every year. We have a budget of $64,000 to keep the school running and we have to pay our teachers, principals and our secretary. Everyone else is volunteer," said Hofner.

An invoice from last year, viewed by CBC, shows the German school paid just over $5,400 to rent the property. That includes the use of ten classrooms and a gymnasium once a week from September to May for its 85 elementary-aged students, Hofner said.

Custodial fees to open, clean, close and secure the building on weekends makes up the bulk of the hefty bill, costing more than $11,300, according to the 2024-2025 rental contract. Last year's invoice showed the German school paid $3,715 for those services.

"We almost had a heart attack seeing it was about four times the amount they used to charge us, which is out of this world. We don't understand why that is. It makes no sense," Hofner said.  

Community groups such as those who run international language programs can rent school facilities outside regular hours at a subsidized rate through a Ministry of Education initiative.  

No one from the school board was available for an interview on Friday or to clarify a statement a spokesperson sent that was attributed to Geoff Vogt, the superintendent for facility services and capital planning. The statement said the rate increase is a result of cancelled ministry funding and more demand for rental spaces.

"In 2019, the ministry cancelled priority school funding and outreach coordinator funding. Due to cancelled ministry funding and a high volume of community use requests, including an increase in weekend permits, the 2023-2024 Ministry subsidy was depleted by December," the statement read.  

"Thames Valley's facility rental rates have not increased in many years. While a new rates schedule was approved for the 2024-2025 school year, we are proud that our rates remain significantly lower than many other local venues and municipal partners."

The rent increase comes as the school board deals with the fallout of a three-day retreat senior officials held at a inside the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto hotel last month while the board deals with a $7.6-million budget deficit and previously floated the possibility of job cuts. 

London's German school has existed for almost 70 years and serves a large community of more than 10,000 German-Canadians in the city, Hofner said. The non-profit covers its expenses through donations and fundraisers, along with some money from the German government.

"We offer services to families so their kids would not lose their German heritage and language, so it's a significant impact we have on the community," he said, adding that he's not aware if other international language schools who rent from from the school board are also facing similar rent hikes.

Hofner is weighing his next options but plans to seek an explanation from the board about the large rent increase, he said.