YELLOWKNIFE - A meeting April 19 intended to convince parents to pressure Yellowknife Education District No. 1 to shut down a school turned instead into a show of support for the school board.

Kern Von Hagen, superintendent of Yellowknife Catholic Schools, left, chair Shannon Gullberg and vice-chair Larry Purcka look on as parent Dot Van Vliet expressed concern over closing down J.H. Sissons school. The public meeting April 19 was intended to convince parents to pressure Yellowknife Education District No. 1 to hand over a school to YCS. - Christine Grimard/NNSL photo

Charles Dent, minister of Education, Culture, and Employment, held the meeting at the Tree of Peace Thursday to inform parents of the benefits of closing down an underutilized school to redirect funds towards programming.

Dent is also suggesting handing over the building to Yellowknife Catholic Schools for three years while renovations are completed at St. Joseph school.

As parent after parent came to the microphone, it became apparent that they were there to tell the minister they didn't want any Yk 1 school to close down.

"This isn't a sharing forum per say," noted Kern Von Hagen, Superintendent of Yellowknife Catholic Schools who attended the meeting. "This is a positioning forum."

The Catholic school board will need to displace 280 students next year for the retrofitting of St. Joseph school because of a fire last fall. The school board had been leasing space from Yk 1.

Von Hagen said that spreading students around Yk 1 schools is not an acceptable arrangement. In addition to the cost of the lease, Von Hagen estimated it easily cost the school board an extra $100,000 to send the students to classrooms elsewhere. He said managing the spaces has been a logistical nightmare, with children wasting instruction time having to relocate between spaces to get access to the resources they need.

Dent tried to convince parents during the meeting that closing down one of Yk 1's schools was in the best interest of the students, saying that the costs saved in administration could be redirected to the classroom.

"I'm here to say today it's time to move on, let's focus on the interest of our kids," said Dent. He said the issue is being treated as a turf war between the two school boards.

Parents at the meeting said they believed Dent was favouring one school board over the other.

"I think Yk 1 is doing a great job," said Karen Hamre. "I want to state my public support for the board."

No Yk 1 school has been officially identified for closure, although the school most often on parents' lips Thursday night was J.H. Sissons.

"If Sissons has to close a school, then I think St. Joe's should have to close their school during renovations," said Lloyd Thiessen who has two children with Yk 1.

Dent reiterated to parents that this wasn't about favouring one school board over the other.

"This isn't a battle between YCS and Yk 1. I can't seem to get passed the turf war," said Dent.

Dent told parents that YCS does not have the option to move their children to other schools within their district because they don't have the space. Since Yk 1 has lower utilization rates, with many schools sitting around 60 percent, it would be fair they amalgamate their students to make room for YCS, he said.

Dent also noted that J.H. Sissons school will need to close in two years for renovations anyways.

Without any school to move into next year, YCS will have to come to some arrangement with Yk 1 to continue leasing space.

Other than a letter sent from Yk 1 to YCS to renew this year's lease, the school boards have had minimal communication.

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay brought up in the meeting that the school boards will need to work together to come up with a solution.

"Something has to happen here," said Ramsay. "Is it going to take locking both boards in a room to come up with a

solution?"

Dent said with the limitations of the department's mandate, there was little he could do to force the school boards to come to an agreement. Dent has already threatened to redirect $200,000 of Yk 1's funding to YCS if they refuse to close a school.