Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Friday, May 04, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife Catholic Schools is counting on getting an extra school in their budget for next year.

An outline of the budget was presented at an information session April 26, at which no members of the public attended.

A retrofit project at St. Joseph school will displace 280 students. YCS administration is counting on getting either an entire building, or enough space to house all of these students in one spot.

"Our assumption right now, based on the minister's position, is we're getting a fourth school," said Superintendent Kern Von Hagen.

He said that although it may only be a fourth site and not an entire building, the school board needs to budget the maximum to ensure they have enough money set aside if their hopes of getting another school pan out.

Mike Huvenaars, assistant superintendent business with YCS, announced at the meeting that enrolment had decreased by 71 students. Fewer students mean less money from the GNWT as funding is based on enrolment. Since kindergarten students will be counted as full-time equivalent next year, the school will receive the equivalent funding for 21 fewer students.

Although Yellowknife Education District No. 1 also reported a decrease in enrolment by 9.5 students, they have increased their share of students over YCS by 2.4 per cent.

That means YCS will also receive less money from municipal taxes.

Von Hagen said that as parents are aware that YCS has less room available, they may be attracted to Yk 1 schools that can advertise smaller class sizes.

"It's obvious there's been a bit of a bleed... and that's because there's the impression that there's no room at the inn," said Von Hagen.

According to reports by the department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE), YCS schools are averaging close to 100 per cent capacity, while Yk 1 schools are closer to 60 per cent.

Charles Dent, minister of ECE, has asked Yk 1 to amalgamate their schools and hand one over to YCS. Yk 1 board members have refused to close any schools.

Although YCS did not release their projected surplus for 2007-2008, they are counting on an operating surplus of $364,931 for this school year. That will bring their accumulated surplus to $1,433,500.

Hovering under three per cent of their revenue, the amount falls short of ECE's guidelines of maintaining a surplus of five to 10 per cent of revenue.

"I would like it to be larger, but we're having a very small surplus and putting as much as we can in the classroom," said Huvenaars.

Von Hagen also said that costs from the school board's court case over last fall's school trustee election are being covered by the Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association. The school board has gone to court to overturn a decision that allows non-Catholics to run for the board of trustees.

The school board is now accepting public input, and will prepare a draft budget. Once board members pass the budget, it will go to ECE for final approval in June.