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'Share the schools' – trustee
Mindi Burrell seeks unity in Enterprise as recreation co-ordinator for hamlet

Candace Thomson
Northern News Services
Published Saturday, March 15, 2014

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A problem causing significant stress to officials from two school boards and the territorial government has been offered a seemingly simple solution.

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Yellowknife Education District No. 1 trustee Terry Brookes came forward with a solution to the facilities proposal that would see William McDonald middle school going to the GNWT to use for Ecole Allain St. Cyr students. Brookes said the school should be shared, or the two schools combined into one facility. - NNSL file photo

In the board meeting for trustees of Yellowknife Education District No. 1, trustee Terry Brookes made a formal trustee's statement saying the students of Yk1 and the commission scolaire francophone, which operates Ecole Allain St. Cyr, should share William McDonald Middle School.

"The latest controversy … seems to have us looking at solutions beyond the current school yard," Brookes said. "Perhaps the solution lies close at hand."

There are currently 130 students enrolled at Allain St. Cyr with capacity for 160 students, and 150 students at William McDonald with capacity for 480 students.

"Why would we vacate a school that has a current enrolment of 150 students and put 130 students in the same school? Somebody needs to redo their math on utilization!" Brookes exclaimed.

"If we project the potential enrolment for (Allain St. Cyr), with say another 30 students then we have an enrolment of approximately 160 students. If this is combined with the current William McDonald enrolment of 150 students, then there is a total potential of 310 students and two schools with a combined capacity of 610 students."

Brookes said William McDonald should be able to handle the demand of 310 students with allowances for increased enrolment.

"If a gym was to be shared by 450 students surely it can be shared by 310 students," he said.

In December, Yellowknifer became aware of a facilities proposal to Yk1 from the GNWT to take William McDonald middle school off its hands and use it for francophone students who are currently without facilities such as a gymnasium. The government was required to provide facilities for the francophone school in Yellowknife as well as Ecole Boreale in Hay River as per a Supreme Court ruling in 2012. The estimated costs of the expansion of the schools was $28 million between the two facilities.

The facilities proposal was issued as a solution for the GNWT to meet the Supreme Court's mandate and save money, with a decision from the school board needed by March 26.

Trustees made it clear at the February board meeting that they were not interested in such a proposal, but no final decision would be made without consulting ratepayers.

In referencing the fire that closed St. Joseph School in 2006, Brookes said officials between Yk1 and the Catholic school board were concerned that students from different districts wouldn't get along. In the end the students shared William McDonald school with no issues until the renovations to St. Joseph school were complete.

He said any similar concerns about Yk1 students and francophone students would be an 'adult' problem, not a student problem.

"I have no doubt that some adults may have a problem with a common facility being used by different education groups, " said Brookes.

"But I say, 'Get over it, learn from the past and set examples of how we all need to fit together for a better society. Kids can get along with no problems, and they can be more co-operative and collaborative than adults. Something is wrong with our planning ability and bias if we can't organize ourselves to use school facilities collectively."

Brookes also said francophone students would not be lacking a French language environment at William McDonald school.

"A large portion of the current enrolment of William McDonald is French Immersion," he said. "Thus you have one culture who wants to maintain their culture, and another culture that wants to learn that culture. What a great opportunity for a symbiotic relationship!"

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the commission scolaire francophone did not respond to a request for comment on Brookes' suggestion by press time.

While trustees are entitled to make statements and express their individual opinions during the board meeting, Yk1 chair John Stephenson said they don't necessarily reflect the opinion of the board as a whole.

"The reality is the sharing opportunity has been there for as long as Allain St. Cyr has been in place, and there has been sharing of the space and that was subject of the court proceedings," said Yk1 Chair John Stephenson.

"The shared space was extended to them with all good intentions and the feedback I've heard from the francophone board is that it didn't work. The other reality is what they want and what they're entitled to is french rights education, not second language education but first language education, and that's the position they've taken."

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