Yellowknife (Jan 14/05) - Parents and staff at Ecole J.H. Sissons school are wondering why they were left out of the loop by a "secretive" school board.

The possibility that the school may become an all-French immersion school brought concerned parents and teachers out to the Yellowknife Education District No. 1 board meeting Tuesday.

A French Revitalization Project was on the agenda for new business at the Jan. 11 regular meeting, but no other information was available.

The crowd of about 30 people, including several teachers from Sissons, dispersed quickly after chairperson Reanna Erasmus declared that the French initiative would be delayed until a special meeting on Jan. 18.

Nancy Hashi's daughter is in Grade 1 at the school. She was at the district office Tuesday looking for information about her daughter's future at the school.

She chose Sissons for its small, safe environment and the option for French immersion later on. She even took part in a French survey in the fall as part of a district-wide review of French programs. Nothing in the survey prepared her for this, she said.

Hashi wants to see a forum for parents of the district on the issue, as well as an optional early entry French program.

Correspondence sent by Hashi and her mother, Lily Howden, to members of the school board was unanswered as of mid-week.

Parent Andy Bevan says the board is being "secretive" about what is being planned. He wants a chance to ask questions and provide input into any decisions affecting the school.

"It's not the issue of French immersion and what's on the table, because I don't even know what's on the table.

"My concern is that there are going to be decisions made that will have a very significant impact on many stakeholders in the system," said Bevan, father of two Sissons students.

Yellowknifer learned this week that the Parent's Advisory Council has drafted a letter addressed to the board, but its contents are unknown.

Superintendent Judith Knapp visited staff at the school on Jan. 10 to alert them about the possible decision to turn the K-5 English and Grade 4-5 French school into a French immersion school, according to principal Paul Bennett.

News of that meeting filtered down to parents.

Bennett admitted concerns about the ramifications on the school community, parents, his staff and the ongoing restitution project.

"It would be good to have a French immersion centre in the city. I think that's a good idea," he said on Wednesday.

But his concerns about whether Sissons was the place for that project were strong. "If it's all gone French in this area, what are they (parents) going to do with their children," said Bennett.

"Parents want to send their kids to a school where the staff values their children. We have that," he said, adding such a community takes years to develop.

The school currently employs four French teachers and 1.5 aides, compared to nine English teachers and a number of aides.

Of the 241 K-5 students, 80 are enroled in the Grade 4-5 French Immersion program.

Erasmus wouldn't comment on the possible motion for next week's meeting, except to say that it was a result of a review of the district's French programs, which was completed in the fall. "I can't discuss motions before they are put on the floor," she said.

While the complete French review isn't available to the public, Erasmus did say that a report will be issued to the public. "The report will be approved and available after the (Jan. 18) meeting," she said.

It's not clear if parents will be allowed to address the board at the meeting, but they were required to submit written requests to do so from the board three days before the meeting, said Erasmus.