Yellowknife (Feb 17/06) - The city's two school boards are growing increasingly frustrated with a territorial government building plan that trustees say fails the needs of both districts.

Completed last December, the 10-year Education Facilities Plan was compiled to review current Yellowknife school facilities and help the government plan future spending.

The plan was ordered after Yellowknife Catholic Schools requested a new school to meet its growing enrolment.

The public board, Yellowknife Education District No. 1, faced the opposite problem, schools with empty classrooms.

Now, the Catholic school board and parents are gearing up a campaign to demand a new school and the public board says its needs are too far down the priority list.

"It's a mess that it appears that the school boards are competing. We should not be competing," said trustee Duff Spence at the Yk No. 1 board meeting Tuesday.

Members of the board met with education department officials this past Saturday to express their concerns and are to meet with Yellowknife MLAs at noon today.

Under the plan, Ecole J.H. Sissons is slated to undergo a $9.7 million retrofit starting in 2008 while Ecole St. Joseph Catholic school will begin an $18.9 million renovation in 2007.

"Sissons should be renovated before any other school.

"Usually the oldest schools are renovated first," said Spence. "There are problems with how loud the air circulation system in the school is, especially at Sissons where all the rooms are open concept."

Trustees also accused the government of playing politics with building funds.

"Options to solve the problems (of overcrowding) have been pushed to the wind for political reasons," said Trustee Terry Brookes.

Meeting Wednesday, YCS trustees heard from a delegation of parents from each of its three schools. (See separate story below.)

"We've been fighting for new facilities for six years and are no further ahead," said Larry Purcka, vice chair. "We're almost where we started."

Chair Shannon Gullberg said even with the renovation, "the report does not suggest it's possible to increase capacity at St. Joseph."

The facilities report has suggested various alternatives to solve the Catholic board's crowding problems which include sharing a facility with Yk 1, limiting enrolment at YCS to just Catholic students and giving a Yk 1 school to the Catholic district.

Catholic board members said sharing a school won't work and limiting enrolment is against the charter of rights - only a new facility or being given a Yk 1 school will do.

"We need the parents to stand behind us, we can't do it without," said trustee Brian Nagel.

The board will be holding a public forum to discuss the issue Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at Ecole St. Joseph.

Yk No. 1 chair Reanna Erasmus would not comment when asked about the ramifications of the government giving one of its schools to YCS.

That's expected to be the subject of further discussions of a facilities committee, which includes Erasmus, Gullberg and Education Minister Charles Dent.

Dent said he will continue to work with the two boards to find a solution, but said that the government has committed to spending more in Yellowknife than it planned.

"This time last year we had $16 million in the budget for a new school. Now we have close to double."

Extra funding to finish the renovations to Mildred Hall and Sir John Franklin was also allocated.