The Chair of the Brant Catholic School Board says he is in talks with donors to cover the cost of the statues commissioned in Italy.

This follows after four trustees from the board traveled to South Tyrol in Italy earlier this summer to bring back art pieces to decorate two schools opening over the next two years.

The cost of the statues, crosses and religious art is estimated to total around $100,000. The costs of the statues themselves have not been disclosed.

The chair of the board Rick Petrella released a community message Tuesday saying the board’s trustees will be taking “concrete actions to address the expenses incurred by the board, including personal repayment.”

The trustees involved previously said they would be paying back the travel expenses.

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The statement further reads that in respect to the statues commissioned, Patrella has been in discussions with “several Catholic donors recently who are very interested in assisting in covering these costs.”

“I am actively working with them to secure their donations and remove any financial obligations of public dollars for this expense,” he says.

“Our goal with these actions stated above is to get to a total net zero cost position for the Board and for the ratepayer for these expenses.”

Earlier this month Carlo Fortino, president of the Brand Haldimand Norfolk Catholic Teachers’ Association said his initial reaction to the trip was that the expense was “unnecessary.”