Lisa Scott
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 17/05) - The $1.5 million expansion of a Catholic school district trades centre has the public school board on the warpath.

Public trustee Dale Thompson accused Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS) of making "backroom deals" and a "smoke and mirror" approach to secure $750,000 from the territorial government for the expansion of of the year-old Kimberlite Career and Technical Centre.

Trustee Dale Thomson unleashed a statement criticizing the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the Yellowknife Catholic School District over a recent announcement of $1.5 million in funding for their career and technical centre, at a board meeting June 14. - Lisa Scott/NNSL photo

Education, Culture and Employment is matching $750,000 from corporate sponsors, led by De Beers.

The public board decided Tuesday to send letters of concern over how the expansion was handled to YCS, Education Minister Charles Dent and the department of Education, Culture and Employment.

Thompson was particularly upset the public board was named a partner in the Kimberlite Centre in a June 10 press release announcing the expansion.

"What partnership?" he asked. "The Minister is aware that no formal partnership exists even though we have asked for one."

Complete surprise

Chairperson Reanna Erasmus said the announcement came as a complete surprise.

"A partner means knowing what is going on; a partner means if you're getting $1.5 million, then part of that needs to go to your partner," she said.

After the funding was announced, Kern Von Hagen, Catholic schools superintendent, defended the decision not to tell Yk No.1 about the proposal.

"They couldn't know, because, of course, we would have jeopardized the whole thing if it had gotten out before the GNWT made up their mind," he said.

Kimberlite Centre housed 389 students in programs ranging from cosmetology to carpentry this year. Two of those students were from Yk No. 1, and 16 from Aurora College. Approximately 10 Yellowknife Catholic students took courses at Yk No.1's Akaitcho Trades and Technical Centre at Sir John Franklin high school.

Education Minister Charles Dent said the $750,000 government money is all new and didn't come out of any other project.

Lack of communication

Dent called the lack of communication between the two districts "unfortunate" and something that he wasn't aware of.

As for the $750,000 in corporate cash, the territorial government has encouraged private-sector funding in education, Dent said.

"Our capital plan has been stretched for the last number of years. We've been receptive to proposals that propose private sector money coming in and us matching it," he said.

Dent also said the Kimberlite Centre funding won't affect the facilities study currently underway.

ECE and the two school districts are deciding how to spend $16 million in the next 10 years. A report is scheduled to be released in September.

Yellowknife Catholic Schools wants a new school, while Aurora College is asking for a new campus or renovated college building. While it doesn't need a new school, Yk No.1 says renovations are needed to fix some of its seven schools.