Yellowknife (Dec 15/03) - History was made in Dettah last week after its first elected school board was formed.

Seven residents were elected to the Dettah District Education Authority (DDEA) board of trustees, after an election was held Dec. 8.

Berna Martin won a position on the new board with 18 votes. She says the move was long awaited by community members.

She hopes this means children will start returning to the community to attend the Kaw Tay Whee school, rather than busing to Yellowknife each day.

"We'd like to get the students back in our school here. We'd like to have the language and culture here," she says.

Martin has served on the Dogrib Community Service board since 1989. The multi-purpose board has provided administration to the school since its inception in 1968.

The old board dealt with health and social issues, as well as education.

By creating a separate education board, Martin hopes education will become more of a focus in the community.

"It means that we get the trust back in the community," she says.

Don Finley, principal of Kaw Tay Whee school in Dettah, says the population of the school has already increased.

"We've doubled our population since the beginning of the year," he says.

The present three-classroom school was built in 1998 and can house 60 students.

Last year, only six students were enroled at the school.

This year, 17 students are currently attending the school from kindergarten to Grade 3.

Finley says they will start accepting Grade 4 students next fall and will expand from there.

He says kids going to school in their community is more convenient and better for them and their families.

The district has hired Yellowknife Education District No. 1 to provide administration for the school, but the DDEA will create and implement their own policies.

Eileen Baillargeon, Ann Marie Sangris, Stacey Lermo, David Drygeese, Doreen Liske and Jim Lynn join Martin on the new board.

Martin says they don't have any big plans to implement right now.

"We're just taking things one at a time," she says.