YELLOWKNIFE - Parents put pressure on the minister of Education to resolve Yellowknife Catholic Schools' lack of space during a public meeting at Northern United Place on May 3.

Parent Linda Wood asked Charles Dent, minister of Education, Culture and Employment, if they would have to baptize all the students in the Catholic board for him to make a decision so St. Joseph students would have space next year. - Christine Grimard/NNSL photo

Charles Dent, minister of Education, Culture and Employment, held the meeting to try and convince parents that Yellowknife Education District No. 1 should amalgamate their under-used schools and lease one to YCS which needs to relocate more than 100 students next year during the retrofit of St. Joseph school.

Parents from both school boards put pressure on the minister to make a decision because the two school boards have yet to come to any agreement.

Dent said he does not have the power to force the boards to come to any decision.

"Making the two boards try to fight that out seems like divide and conquer to me," said parent Lee Sacrey, who has three children enrolled in YCS schools.

"In two or three months, come the election, it is your problem," said Don Cameron.

"As a member of this community I will make it known."

Some Yk1 parents suggested if YCS is at full capacity, they could enrol their students in the other school board.

"If you're full to capacity, parents should take their students to another school," said Maurice Helyar who has one child enrolled with Yk 1.

With numbers of students in Yellowknife not expected to increase, the school boards can only increase enrolment by taking students from the other school board.

Dent said that if Yk1 is worried about losing students to YCS by leasing a school, they can put conditions on the lease that only previously registered YCS students would be allowed to attend. This would keep Yk1 students from switching school boards to stay in the same building.

Dent said non-Catholic students enrolled in the Catholic system do not have the necessity to be in that school district, as laid out in the Education Act.

The Catholic school board made it clear at a meeting earlier in the week they would not limit non-Catholic enrolment. Dent's comment didn't sit well with parents of Catholic school students.

"If they were 100 per cent Catholics, would you then make a decision," asked YCS parent Linda Wood "If we baptized all the rest of the students, would you then change your position?"

Dent said it was not his intention to limit non-Catholic education. However, he said he does not have to make room for non-Catholic students to stay in YCS. And with school space clearly available, Yellowknife does not warrant a new school.

"It wouldn't be fiscally responsible," said Dent.

YCS parent Don Stockton still pleaded with Dent to consider building a new school.

"Are we not putting a price on our kids?" Stockton asked Dent. "Could we not build something?"

Yk1 chair Terry Brookes said that the he is expecting to have a meeting with the YCS chair and vice-chair this week to discuss arrangements for the coming year.