Yellowknife (Oct 18/06) - Despite the Yellowknife Catholic School Board's push for an all-Catholic memberahip, trustee elections Monday appear to have settled little.

Amy Hacala, a non-Catholic, retained her seat on the school board with a total of 430 votes for a sixth place finish. Nonetheless, Hacala said that her position was on "shaky ground."

The Catholic school board is currently before the courts, seeking territorial government recognition that only Catholics can be allowed to sit on the school board.

The school board tried to impose the Catholics-only rule for this election but were overruled by territorial government and city hall officials.

Returning officer Debbie Euchner said that a judge will decide whether another election is necessary or whether Monday's election results will stand.

Kern Von Hagen, superintendent of Yellowknife Catholic Schools, said no court date has been set yet, but the district would probably know by the end of the month.

"I think people need to understand that the corporate board will make the decisions," Von Hagen said of the legal challenge.

Euchner said that there was confusion at the polls regarding signed declaration forms to vote in the Catholic school board election.

"People confuse the tax roll with the voters' list," she said.

"The voters are enumerated door-to-door."

She said that voters had until 10 days before the election to change their minds whether to make themselves eligible to vote for the Catholic board or the public school board, all of whom were acclaimed this year.

By the time election date rolled along, it was too late for many voters.

The 2003 election witnessed 4,503 voters turn out for Catholic school board elections. This year, 5,099 voters cast ballots.

Shannon Gullberg, who chaired the board over the last term, took the most votes in 2003 with 736, coming in second this time with 567.

This term's top vote getter, Jennifer Debogorski, received 606 votes in her first time for a board seat.

Long-time school trustee Jane Haley received the second lowest vote tally at 395 and will not be on the school board after today. She has been on the board for 15 years.

Von Hagen said Haley had mentioned she was planning to retire after a year anyway.

"It could very well be a blessing in disguise," he said.

Larry Purcka, re-elected with 549 votes, said he was glad to see Debogorski do so well.

"Seeing young people involved in the school system is a great thing. You need a balance between old and new and young and old."

Hacala, who criticized fellow board members in weeks - claiming they were making decisions in her absence - shook hands with Gullberg on Wednesday night, but the two did not exchange any words.

"I'm sure there will be a little bit of tension, a little bit uncomfortable," Hacala said, of the upcoming school board meeting.

On the vote breakdown, Hacala said that, "it definitely shows what the people were thinking. It does show me that people do support me."

Hacala felt she was re-elected because the public wanted a non-Catholic on the school board.

Purcka felt differently about the voting results, however. "I would say they pretty much wanted an all-Catholic school board," said Purcka.

Nonetheless, he is hoping to move past the controversy of the last couple months.

"I think we're going to have to resolve this once and for all," said Purcka.

"We're going to have to come to a resolution."