Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (May 24/04) - After months of deliberation, Yellowknife school districts have landed on opposite sides of a contentious issue.

Yellowknife No. 1 and the Yellowknife Catholic school district (YCS) have struggled with a directive handed down by former minister of education Jake Ootes to cease charging school fees to Treaty Right holders.

Ootes made the directive in the fall of 2003.

At their regular monthly board meeting Wednesday night, YCS trustees butted heads, passing a motion to scrap school fees altogether starting Sept. 1.

Trustee Debbi Ross worried administration's suggestion to exempt the 400 Treaty Right students in the district, while continuing to charge non-Treaty Right holders, would create inequality among students.

"I don't think that it's in our best interests as a district to divide our students along ethnic lines," she said.

Ross' proposed motion met opposition from trustee Brian Nagel and parent Alan Cash.

"It's irresponsible for us not to consider the revenue generated by school fees," said Nagel.

The district estimates current fees from Treaty Right students total $65,000, plus an additional $100 per student loss for other fees tacked on to the directive.

District administration had recommended in its 2004/2005 budget to follow the directive, but not to scrap fees altogether.

Nagel was concerned Ross' decision would be considered an enrolment grab for students from the public district, which decided to keep charging fees while following the directive.

"To do something that is contrary to Yellowknife 1 is going to cause problems," he said.

All three Yellowknife school districts have been in consultation with each other over the issue in recent months.

Parent speaks out

Cash, whose two daughters attend Ecole St. Joseph, told the board he is worried that the field trips, textbooks and extras might be denied to students if fees were scrapped.

"You are denying benefits to my daughters that I am happy to pay for," he said.

Ross' motion was passed with opposition only from Nagel. Two trustees were absent.

A May 11 directive from the minister of education, Charles Dent, includes clarification on what the fees include.

Along with the $35-$100 fees charged at the beginning of the year to students, deposit fees for textbooks, transportation for events and programs and lists of school supplies parents are told to provide are also included in what Treaty Right holders are not expected to pay.

Kern Von Hagen, superintendent of education at YCS, reminded the board of the extent of the loss schools would face without the fees.

District administration will have to make "adjustments" to their budget in the wake of the decision, he said.

Going to Department of Education, Culture and Employment for more money is on the table.

"I'm fine with the directive, but I honestly feel that ECE needs to support it. By that, I mean resource it," said Von Hagen.

Plans to recoup the $65,000 plus expected loss per year with a "unique" alternative are already underway at YCS.

At Yellowknife No. 1, implementation of the directive will be tricky. Adminstration estimates their aboriginal population at 29 per cent, but has no idea who holds Treaty Right cards.

Starting September, parents will be expected to supply their kid's cards to be exempt from the fees.

School trips to places like the pool and the movies will be affected, said Judith Knapp, superintendent of education.

"We count on the fees to do a number of things in the schools," she said. "I think we'll just have to live within our means. We may have to pare down a bit."

Board chair Reanna Erasmus isn't worried about the loss of revenue for the district, despite the board's concerns expressed in February over losses.

When asked if the opposite decisions of the two districts was a concern either, Erasmus said "no".

The Francophone Commission has also decided to keep the fees, while halting charges for Treaty Right Holders.

The commission estimates their aboriginal population at less than five per cent.

As the districts grappled with the directive in early 2004, deputy minister of education Mark Cleveland assured News/North that ECE would not be handing out money to make up for lost revenue.

"We fund the authorities through an established formula. That hasn't changed and it won't change as a result of this decision," he said in February.

The issue originally arose due to a parent's concerns about the Education Act's allowance for schools to charge fees, contradicting Treaty Rights of aboriginal students.