Yellowknife (Feb 15/06) - A campaign is gearing up to demand the territorial government fund a new school or give one of Yk No. 1's schools to Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

The education department's facilities review gave the following reasons why a new school should not be built: School enrolment is expected to decrease during the next 10 years. Although the facilities plan shows a 19 per cent growth in the population of Yellowknife, the growth is expected to be predominately in people aged 40 and older who do not have school-aged children. If the student population is more than expected, schools will be asked to use portable classrooms. The facility plan recommended renovations to Yk No. 1's Ecole J.H. Sissons and St. Joe's elementary schools and an addition to Aurora College.

A delegation of parents is expected to attend tonight's board meeting to address overcrowding at their schools.

They can expect a friendly reception because board chair Shannon Gullberg and superintendent Kern Von Hagen say the government is violating religious rights.

"Our rights as a Catholic school are embedded in the constitution," said Von Hagen.

The three Catholic schools - St. Joseph, Weledeh and St. Patrick - are near 100 per cent capacity.

Despite this, the territorial government's 10-year Education Facility Plan for Yellowknife rejected a call for a new Catholic school, partly because Yellowknife Education District No. 1 schools are well below capacity.

Report, the territorial government is spending $3.1 million to replace Kalemi Dene School in Ndilo and $300,000 to expand Ecole Allain St. Cyr. Francophone parents won a court order forcing the government to pay for new classrooms and a gymnasium at St. Cyr.

"We have had waiting lists, usually in September," said Von Hagen.

YCS has 1,600 students, an increase of 300 in the past five years.

A facilities committee with members from the Catholic school system, the public school board and the education department is continuing to examine the issue.

"A possible solution is transferring a school to the Catholic board," said Gullberg. "Our expectation is that our needs will be met in some fashion."

The parent group plans a public meeting on the issue Feb. 21, 7 p.m. at St. Joe's.