Hay River (July 02/01) - The 25 students of Hay River's French First Language program will have to wait another year for a school of their own, unless the federal government can help find a home for the program.
The Consiel Scolaire Francophone de Hay River was hoping to make use of four portable classrooms being shipped to Hay River from Fort Resolution, but those buildings will be used as temporary classroom space while Princess Alexandra school is being renovated.
Minister of Education Culture and Employment Jake Ootes said the French program will stay in Princess Alexandra School for the next year and the portable classes will be used as the Hay River DEA sees fit.
Andrew Butler, chair of the Hay River DEA said the $6.5 million school renovation begins this week and will include a new library and three new classrooms as well as bringing the rest of the building up to code. Butler said the portables are key to disrupting too much of the school.
"By bringing in the portables, it gives us the freedom to clear more of the school to renovate," Butler said. "It allows them to seal-off one entire wing and for safety's sake, it's a lot better."
Gerry Goudreau, chair of the consiel, says the decision comes as a set back to the plans they had for a separate French school. He says the growing program needs four rooms, but will have to squeeze into the space allowed.
"Last year, we had one-and-a-half rooms and this year, we've got two-and-a-half teachers, so technically we can make do, but it's going to be crowded," Goudreau said.
The consiel had planned to order office equipment and supplies for the new school, but Goudreau said the existing space won't allow for that.
"We were thinking of having our own administrative office and we will be getting some new computers, but we will put the rest of it on hold, until we get our own space," he said.
Lasty week, the Hay River DEA and P.A. school principal Peter Grimm met with the contractor to discuss how the portables would be used, Goudreau said the consiel was not allowed to participate in the meeting.
"I had requested to be invited, but that never happened and I don't know why," he said.
Goudreau said he sees the DEA's decision to exclude the consiel from the project as a continuation of the reluctance that has forced them to leave the DEA.
Butler said the consiel has sent the Hay River DEA "mixed messages" to the board, indicating that they were seeking their own building, so the renovation plan was formulated without input from the French program.
"I'm not saying that they don't deserve to have a voice in the decision-making, but it's our responsibility to make sure that this project goes as smoothly as possible," Butler said.
Butler questioned how the French program was allowed to separate from the South Slave Divisional Education Authority on their first petition, when Hay River has been trying for their own council for years.
Ootes said the Commission Scolaire was only possible because the added administrative and extra costs of a separate board will be paid out for by federal funds.
"We still fund per pupil, but the extra costs will be covered by Heritage Canada," Ootes said.
A separate DEC for Hay River would have to be funded through the GNWT, but since the commission will be funded by Heritage Canada. Ootes said he is also bound by law to accept the petition.
"By federal law, I am obliged to grant a commission and the commission will administer to the Francophone schools within the territory," he said.
Goudreau said the consiel has made a request to Heritage Canada for a separate building and thinks the negative may be turned positive.
"I'm not bitter about it and I'm trying to see the positive side of this," he said. "The positive side is, that this may help our request for our own building sooner than later."
