SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - After six years as an, at times, embattled Yellowknife Catholic Schools trustee, Amy Hacala is stepping back from politics to enjoy some time out with her two daughters.

"I just decided that I've served, I've contributed what I could contribute and I'd like to move on to other ways of contributing to my community," she said.

Hacala decided not to run for re-election as a trustee with YCS, after two terms. She was a nominee for the upcoming city council election but withdrew her nomination on Wednesday, saying she just needed some down time.

"I've been on this (education) board for six years, I've been really heavily scrutinized in the public eye for the last four, and I've just kind of decided I want to take a break. Who knows how I'll feel in three years. I might consider city council then," she said.

Hacala, a non-Catholic, was first elected to the Catholic school board in October 2003. Leading up to the 2006 elections, the board attempted to bar non-Catholics from serving as trustees.

With two children attending Catholic schools in Yellowknife, and as a graduate of St. Patrick High School herself, Hacala objected to the informal decision and was successfully re-elected to the board.

Her presence on the board fueled a saga of court battles between the school board and the GNWT, with Hacala in the middle.

She said the experience has been difficult at times, but she wasn't willing to back down on something she felt so strongly about.

"I think there are certain things that you have to stand up for, certain things that you can't back down from. I couldn't just walk away from it. There was a point to be proved and I wanted to stand up for that principle," said Hacala.

"From the beginning I was told it wasn't about me personally, but I don't think there was anyone on the board who agreed with my position," she said.

The court saga did cause rifts between her and other trustees, said Hacala, but over the last couple of years things have improved markedly.

"At the very beginning of it people found it very difficult to work together; there was antagonism between board members, but over the last two years, people have risen above," she said.

"Since Mary's (Vane) been chair, the relationship with board members has improved tremendously. I really went from feeling unwelcome and disregarded to included and valued, and I think that's thanks to Mary."

Asked what drew her to serve on the YCS board as a non-Catholic, Hacala said the exemplary education she received from the district was enough for her to want to put her children through the same system and sit on the board herself.

"The first thing was they offer early French immersion. Secondly, even though I'm not Catholic, I recognize the value that the Catholic environment brings to my kids' every day life," she said.

"I find when you walk in the door the environment is very loving and very welcoming. I found it to be that way when I was in school and I continue to feel that way about the schools now."

She said she is proud of her attempts to make fair and equatable decisions relating to the school's students.

"I really feel like I've made a significant difference in a couple of different ways. I've worked really hard on trying to make decisions that would have a positive impact on the lives of all the kids that attend our schools."

"It is a lot of time to serve as a trustee. It's worth it, you definitely feel good about the contribution you make, but it is a lot of time. So I'm really looking forward to just hanging out with my kids."

When she is not at her day job as a policy adviser for the GNWT, she said she plans to spend some extra time working on her blog, and perhaps writing a novel.