By Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – Promises of a non-faith-based school in Morinville this fall have fallen apart, parents choosing the option were told Monday afternoon. Sturgeon school Division (SSD), who were selected by Greater St. Albert Catholic School Regional (GSCRD) to offer the program in Morinville, met with parents Monday afternoon to tell them plans had hit a snag.
Marjorie Kirsop, one of the parents who have been fighting for secular education in Morinville since January of 2011 and who was present at Monday’s meeting, said she and other parents were told preschool and Kindergarten students would attend classes on the upper floor of the Morinville RC Parish Hall but students in Grades 1 – 4 would be bussed to Namao School or Camilla School.
The main reason for the change in plan is the cost of acquiring and delivering modular classrooms to Morinville “We were told it’s roughly $300,000 installed for a modular,” Kirsop said. “Half the cost is transportation. They don’t want to ship it all the way here only to have it moved because it’s just a temporary spot.”
But Kirsop said the real problem seems to be a lack of agreement on just who should pay for the modular facility for the non-faith-based school. “Alberta Education and GSACRD are butting heads because both parties think the other one should be responsible to provide it,” she said. “So right now it looks like there won’t be a school in September. It’s maddening because it seems like we’re just back to square one again.”
Kirsop said other vacant buildings in the community, including a vacant facility near the ball park, the former Field’s Department Store on 100 Street and vacant property near No Frills were all discussed but ultimately rejected by Alberta Education as either being too costly to renovate or unsuitable due to a lack of green space.
“The other option was to use one of the wings of one of the schools in town, and they [SSD] wanted six to eight classrooms,” Kirsop said. “They [GSACRD] offered one classroom and they can’t have one classroom for Grades 1 to 4.”
The lack of accommodations and the seemingly stalemated position on funding a modular unit has left the Morinville parents seeking a non-Catholic education for their children with a choice of bussing their children outside of Morinville or – as Kirsop says several of the delegation are considering – simply sending their children to the existing Catholic schools.
“It’s very disappointing because the Minister of Education said way back in June that we will have a secular option in Morinville,” Kirsop said. “Now it’s July 25 and we’re told, ‘No. there isn’t going to be.’”
Kirsop said despite the late decision on who would provide the secular option so close to the end of the school year, she believes something could have been in place by fall if the Ministry of Education and GSACRD were not at loggerheads over who should pay for the modular.
“Because it’s just a temporary spot, they don’t want to bring it up here and have it moved again,” she said, noting modulars exist already in the province that could be used. “They don’t want to ship it only to have it moved again. Now they are saying for 2012 they hope to have the modular in.”
But Kirsop said it could easily be argued in 2012 that the cost of transportation is prohibitive, leaving parents still bussing their children outside the community for the public education they are seeking.
“We really thought we were making progress,” she said. “The government acknowledged there should be something in town and we were told they’re bringing in another education partner. Great – somebody who actually wants to provide the education. They’re still wanting to. Their intentions haven’t changed but they need a facility, and that’s where the issue is.”
Numbers could drop
Kirsop said at last tally there were 55 Morinville children enrolled with the Sturgeon School Division program. “It’s soft numbers because we don’t have a school in place,” she said. “Many parents have said they would enrol their kid if they could actually see the school. We don’t even know where the land is and now we’re being told that, ‘No, there isn’t going to be one.’ Why would you enrol your child in a program when you don’t even know where it’s going to be? I just spoke to several parents who said, ‘You know what, maybe I’ll just put my kids back in GSACRD. At least I know there’s a school there.’”
The Morinville mom said it is inevitable that the current numbers enrolled with Sturgeon School Division will dwindle down with the latest news and the prospect of being faced with the choice of bussing. That was our sticking point,” she said. “We don’t want our kids going to a school out of the community. We should be educating our kids within the community, especially when there are four schools.”
It is a situation that has Kirsop considering moving outside Morinville, something Donna Hunter, her sister Carol Sparks and their families did earlier this summer. Hunter and Sparks, together with Kirsop, were the original parents who lobbied GSACRD for a secular option last January. After several months of what she saw as an uphill battle, and faced with the uncertainty of what education in Morinville would look like in September 2011, Hunter made the decision to move to Edmonton and enrol her children in a public school there.
In an e-mail interview with MorinvilleNews.com late Monday afternoon, Hunter said she felt lied to.
“The Alberta Government reneged on their promise to provide modulars as the option for infrastructure for the Morinville public school,” Hunter wrote, noting the stalemate between Alberta Education and GSACRD puts parents in a position of having no option. “There is no partnership here. GSACRD is providing no choice.”
Hunter said she believes Sturgeon School Division is left with no choice but to bus Morinville students to their existing schools. “Alberta Education and GSACRD set them up to fail,” Hunter said. “Unless something changes, Grades1 to 4 will have transportation provided at no cost to either Namao or Camilla, along with all other grade levels to Namao or Sturgeon Composite H.S.”
Hunter said she understands the educational services agreement has not been signed as GSACRD wants Sturgeon School Division to remove the clause requiring GSACRD to provide infrastructure.
“Alberta Ed is telling SSD that a three-year plan may include modulars in Morinville for September 2012,” Hunter said. “No agreement on paper, everything verbal, vague and empty.”
The former Morinville resident believes Sturgeon School Division was left with the unpleasant task of delivering the bad news. “Sturgeon School Division was the only one acting in good faith and Alberta Ed and GSACRD set them up to be the ones who will have to tell Morinville there will be no school,” Hunter said. “We’re back to January 2011. We are all to be bussed away. We are outcasts, second class citizens who are not important enough to have a resident public school or even a wing of a school. We have to acknowledge Catholic permeation or get out.”
Hunter said SSD is planning to notify all parents who have registered in the new school as to what SSD has been told by Alberta Education and then post a letter to the editor in the local newspapers.
MorinvilleNews.com has learned that immediately following Monday’s meeting with the parent delegation, SSD and GSACRD were called to a meeting with Alberta Education. Details of that late afternoon meeting were not available by press deadline.
Editor’s Note: We will continue to bring information on this developing story and the position of GSACRD, SSD and Alberta Education as they are available for comment.
July 26 update
Secular school plans moving ahead, GSACRD and province say
The MCCC sits on the existing schools property, it offers a number of rooms, which could quickly be converted into short-term classrooms. The main hall could be further divided with temporary partitions. It has all the plumbing and electrical required and it has an existing bus system and could benefit from being next door to a larger educational facility during this transition. Lets see if the Catholic School Board can live by what it teaches and dig deep with the Town to ease what’s going to be a rough transition for its secular neighbors, lets see some cooperation in making it a good experience for the kids. Keeping in mind it’s only a temporary solution.
What happened to the over 100 students that were previously mentioned as having been registered???
Also, the idea that there are no “Suitable” buildings in town is ridiculous. There are TWO full-sized elementary schools in Morinville. That space was able to service these children as of last year, so why can the space not be used, divided equally according to population, between the two school systems this year?
55 students?!?! Are you kidding me? I think it’s time to move on. This is a numbers thing, and the numbers are just not there. Can you imagine the outcry of the parents of the other 97.5 percent if teachers are being layed off and then we spend $300,000 on modulars for 55 kids?????
Are you kidding me?? This has become a “numbers thing” because of the incredibly poor manner in which the situation has been handled from the start. To say the numbers are too low to bring in PUBLIC education looks at the problem out of context. The numbers are low because of the uncertainty for parents and over bussing. With this announcement, I’m sure they will go even lower. Remember, in the rest of the country all education starts as PUBLIC and the remainding are schools are SEPARATE (which includes Catholic). As a person who grew up and went to school outside of Alberta, this whole thing has been asinine to watch. Maybe someone should ask the GSACRD and find out how they brought in a Catholic school where only public ones existed before. It seems that things are only going one way here – the wrong way.
Now that Donna Hunter and family have been driven out of town, I wonder if someone is simply trying to wait the situation out. I believe that delaying is the first argument to saying next “Sorry, we tried, but no public option exists other than bussing.” Again, I can’t believe that the province continues to let this go on.
Given that the initial estimate was that over 100 secular education children would be leaving, what did GSACRD plan on doing with the additional classroom space? Smaller classes? Combine schools? I don’t think that anyone high up in the debate has really asked this question. I think that the province needs to step in and tell both sides that “if you can’t play nice and come up with a fair way to implement this, we will tell you how you will do it.” If the solution is to be “temporary” then one of the Catholic schools could quite easily give up either classrooms or a split attendance arrangement be made. I did this from September to December one year while we were waiting for our new high school to be finished. It worked just fine. I like the idea above of using the MCCC.
Leah E’s letter is exactly right in that something could be done. If people wanted this to happen bad enough, other people would find (or be strongly encouraged to find) a way. But it is easier to say it costs too much or we have an easier, cheaper solution than to do the right thing. Let’s cut the baloney (best word) and bring in a truly PUBLIC school – one that should have been put in place 100 years ago.
I am happy to see this outcome. Clearly, the numbers are not there to support this initiative. The parents have been given an ultimatum. Bus your kids, enrol in secular education (which we all know is horrible and harms young minds, blah, blah, blah…NOT), or move. Thank god (no pun intended) common sense has won.
This initiative was poorly thought out. Driven by emotion, it has back fired miserably. Those “longing” for secular education should have taken a methodical approach to the idea of having a new school. It takes years to plan, fund and build a new school. Forcing such a contested aspect of life onto the school boards’ conscience couldn’t have resulted in a happy ending for anyone.
What’s truly entertaining is how Donna Hunter bailed out and won’t be here throughout the Catholic school year to fight for those who so aptly jumped on her demolition derby bandwagon. Even she, who stirred the pot (with a hand mixer), could see through the shenanigans and moved before her children could be indoctrinated between the first recess and lunch hour of the year.
The bottom line is, this will happen and so it should – with time and proper planning. For those who pushed and pushed and wreaked havoc on the school boards for months, I guess we will see you in the fall after all!
I think it will all work out. People just need a little patience. Don’t forget there is an election looming.
@Brent,
You’re right. The need exists for a public school. Where you might be considered mistaken, is this Town (and St. Albert) has Catholic roots. It’s not an excuse in this day and age but certainly proves the reasoning behind a Catholic school board.
There are options in the current curriculums for those students who are not inclined to participate in the religion classes. What this doesn’t resolve is the alleged “religious” environment that clouds the halls and school yards in Morinville. So, if this truly is the issue, why would you want “public” kids to share space with the “religious” kids? In fact, why would the Catholic school board risk being criticized and called out (again) by having the “public” kids near the religious haze?
As a parent, I don’t want my kids’ physical education class and library period compromised by another school board’s curriculum. We are not Catholic or consider ourselves part of any specific faith but truly benefit from the tried and tested GSACRD method of education.
Your school will happen but don’t rush it on the backs of 98% of the other kids in the area.
I don’t know why GSACRD bothers with Catholic permeation. They obviously have no interest in the Golden Rule, love thy neighbor, or rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.
It’s long past time for the minister to step in and say, “GSACRD is a public school division, and it must obey the law”.
Wow…once again it is the fault of GSACRD. We shouldn’t be surprised. Months ago so many of us learned that there would be nothing that could be done to satisfy the vocal minority of parents in this situation. I find it interesting that this entire “news report” once again has no quotes or statements from authoritative information sources. ie. Alberta Education, the GSACRD Superintendent, the Sturgeon School Division Superintendent and even more interesting is the fact that a non-resident of Morinville (who has no legitimate stake in the outcome of this issue anymore) is quoted… nonetheless announcing that “SSD will be getting word out, including letters to the Editor of local papers”. Hmm … has the Sturgeon School Division appointed the members of the Parent Delegation as their Public Relations Officers?
We should not lose sight of the results of the survey (the one initially demanded by the Parent Delegation) which revealed that 94% of our parent population (within our schools) are satisfied with GSACRD and its current education system in Morinville. We do not have the room in our schools to displace and overcrowd the vast majority of our children so as to accommodate the few children whose parents said they will not have their children walk into our schools which have crosses on the walls, say morning and meal time prayers, and have Christmas concerts. We are all here today because this small special interest group, the “Parent Delegation”, wanted to have a secular option outside of the GSACRD model. Now they want to have it inside the very same halls and classrooms that so offended their secular sensibilities in the beginning? What new outrageous demands can we expect to accompany that?
Certainly Alberta Education must know that is unacceptable to the supporters of GSACRD as well. How could we possibly live up to antiseptic-like expectations of the parent delegation? We would have to provide a “secular” education in a classroom… or two? How many grades are they willing to combine together in those classrooms? We are talking about 55 students in total made up of various grades from K to 12. Seriously?! Should we also cover our schools’ religious artifacts? Should they apply warnings to the entrances and walls to remind everyone not to mistakenly utter the word “God” in the presence of those who would be offended. This is a very contentious issue in our town. Sturgeon School Division, it is time that your Board step up and fulfill the demands of the small group of parents, as you agreed to do. God knows that GSACRD (and others in our community) have sincerely tried to accommodate this small special interest group. SSD announced at the June 2nd public meeting that they would provide the secular education within Morinville and that it was most likely that classrooms would be in portables. GSACRD did not announce or promise this. SSD brought this latest ordeal on themselves. Perhaps they should look into their own buildings in town ie. The Sturgeon County School Division offices OR the Sturgeon County offices. There is plenty of room in each, never mind both, to accommodate 55 children. It is time to put some of this responsibility in SSD’s own court. It is time for SSD to work something out with Alberta Education, a plan that no longer adversely affects the majority of students in town. Our Education Minister and others in the government should try to remember that the vast majority of the involved constituents have been sitting back quietly waiting for a reasonable solution to be provided by the elected authorities, and that thumbing your nose at the 94% in favour of our current school system, in order to appease the noisy minority, may have an unfortunate effect on your popularity.
We’re sorry you missed the editor’s note at the conclusion of this article or our article from this afternoon with in depth quotes from Alberta Education and Superintendent Keohane. The former is the little grey blue box at the end of the last paragraph, the latter the headline story on the front page.
Dear Editor,
I was expecting your quick comment back. It would be less confusing for the readership if your editorials and your hard news features were not so difficult to differentiate. If your bias wasn’t so clear on this particular issue, then you wouldn’t always have to be prepared for a speedy comeback when people call you on it.
Charmaine, why are you attack the Editor? The article title clearly says ” back to square one, SECULAR PARENTS SAY”. I took this news piece to be information that Marjorie Kirsop and Donna Hunter gave to MorinvilleNews.com. I don’t say that would be bias by the Editor in 1 direction or the other. Neither would I call it a Hard News Feature. The article is summarizing what the Parent Delegation told MorinvilleNews.com. If any bias is showing, it’s clearly from the delegation. I think the title is quite self-explanatory in that it is not based on fact.
My son attented Vanier for kindergarten and he will also be attending Vanier for grade 1 this year. My husband and I are Catholic, however we do not follow the faith nor do we like the faith. My decision to keep him enrolled in Vanier was based on the fact that my SON wanted to continue learning about God.
I for one, would have preferred for him to go to the secular school, however it would not have been fair to him, for us to yank him out of Vanier based on how we feel. My son will have questions in the future and if he does make the decision that he doesn’t want to learn about god anymore, I will be extremely happy that there will be another option for my child to grow up without a faith based education.
Melissa,
Does anyone wonder where Stepen Defoe stands on this topic? His stand on this issue has been clear. I had a good laugh a little while ago when he was given credit for being unbiased in his articles, strangley enough every comment was from the pro-secular side. Well writen, but not unbiased, articles. That is obvious to anyone following this issue.
Harvey,
The fact that Stephen Defoe didn’t filter your comment says something right there doesn’t it?
While I’m sure the Editor of this fine, well-written online news source has an opinion and it sometimes seems like it’s coming out in his writing one must also keep in mind the following:
The Editor has offered many people outside of the pro-secular group a chance to speak up and be heard. They have almost all declined that offer except for those of us speaking out in the comments posted.
His articles come across as entirely biased not because of him but from a lack of participation on the part of those who speak for the other “side” of the discussion/argument/whatever you want to call it.
There is no need to attack the man who tries to keep us all informed, especially since he does it so that we may all make as informed of a choice as we can.
Yes Joel, it says that he’s letting me say what I want, but that has nothing to do with HIS articles or viewpoint. If all he allowed were supportive comments, what would that look like?
@ Charmaine
you are sadly misinformed in the numbers. 94% of parents did NOT say anything of that matter. Only 37% of parents replied to the survey with the majority favoring for a Public school that is why the merge had happened. Now do the math and round up the numbers like you were taught in grade school. GSACRD had put out letters with false numbers and false information to satisfy the little minds of some who know nothing or simply do not want to know. If you believe what GSACRD is stating then it is obvious that you have NOT been really following what has been happening and only choosing what you want to hear and believe.The proper thing to have done would be a CENSUS not a SURVEY.
No one is telling you not to put your kids in Catholic schools, please do so.But someone is telling us we cant have a Public school…that my dear is not Legal or Democratic.
If you have nothing nice to say you shouldn’t say anything at all. This movement will happen its just a matter of time. Maybe you should move????
There should be options when it comes to education. No one is saying no to a secular choice for families. The fact that modulars are not immediately available to accommodate students is not the fault of GSACRD or SSD. Our economy is such that supply cannot meet demand over night . Education should come first but we need only look to the recent education cuts to see that sadly, that is not true. The choice still exists it just requires patience… and treating each other with respect. I am not Catholic but I will continue to choose GSACRD. For the sake of our community and most importantly, our children, this fighting needs to stop. It won’t produce the results that any of us want. To suggest that people “should move” or that “GSACRD put out false numbers to satisfy little minds” is not only inappropriate-it’s just plain nasty.
@Char
Now if you did your homework and research all the way to the beginning of this ordeal, then YOU would know:
1. I always was in favor of parents having the choice of a secular education for their children. In fact, I was probably one of the first parents (in support of our current school system) to express that publicly.
2. No one, especially GSACRD, is telling you that you can not have a secular school. How do you think this matter has come along as far as it has (and as quickly) if GSACRD (in conjunction with Alberta Ed) hasn’t been the key player here in trying to give you what you ask for?
3. If our Public Catholic schools are not “legal” as some of you allege, then put your money where your mouth is.
This is a matter that must be dealt with by the two school boards and Alberta Education and frankly, not by playing it out like a melo-drama in the media. Let the process happen already! You will get the secular education you requested.
4. This community is not divided by those who choose one form of education over another. Our community is divided by those who choose to harass and insult those who do not favor their choice. I myself was just invited to move out of town and was referred to as a “Hillbilly Catholic” by a pro-secular supporter. This is where we become divided.
5. Every parent who had children in schools in Morinville had an opportunity to participate in the survey, which IS a census model, and it is up to the parent whether or not they respond. 94% of those who responded are happy with our current model of education. Actually “my dear”, the percentage isn’t 94% anymore. Recent news reports have confirmed that this percentage is increasing.
Oh and just before you call me “Hillbilly Catholic”, you should know that I am not Catholic (since you “have not really been following what is happening” ) . In fact there are many parents, I believe even more parents that prefer to send their children to a faith based school over a secular school, who are not Catholic – We just have a little Faith.
Some figures from the 2010-2011 school year on the percentage of Catholic students Vs. those taking religious studies in the four schools follow below. This is quoted from the first article MorinvilleNews.com ran on the issue.