Yellowknife (Sep 29/06) - Each January, city taxpayers have the opportunity to decide which school district they will support.

City Clerk Debbie Euchner said options vary from directing all their school tax to either the public or Catholic school board, dividing it based on a percentage or by enrolment.

"If you wanted to go 50/50, you can. All ratepayers in the city have the option of allocating where their property taxes go," said Euchner.

With school board elections less than three weeks away, the issue of education funding has come to the fore. Basing the allocation on enrolment means more money will go to the school division with the highest student population.

As of January, 2006, 55.6 per cent of Yellowknife students were enroled at Yellowknife District 1 (YK1).

Dave Devana, director of corporate services for the City of Yellowknife, said that for 2006, YK1 should receive $4.71 million, approximately 55.4 per cent of the total school tax collected. Yellowknife Catholic Schools (YCS) will receive $3.78 million, approximately 44.4 per cent of the collected school tax.

When asked what would happen if the majority of property owners favoured one board over the other, Devana speculates the territorial government would likely step in.

"Typically that wouldn't happen and the amounts the boards get are close to what the enrolments are, historically that's been the trend," said Devana. "We collect tax revenues on (the GNWT's) behalf and transmit it to the board's quarterly."

In 2005, YK1's expenditures were $23.7 million while YCS spent $18.9 million. Enrolment at the public board is approximately 2000 students while the Catholic system handles slightly less than 1600.