Okotoks area school boards aren’t jumping to join a request to nix government spending for private schools.
“Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools has repeatedly supported funding to maximize choice in education,” said Scott Morrison, CTR Catholic superintendent of schools. “This includes separate schooling, home-schooling, alternative schooling, charter schooling, and private schooling.”
The Alberta School Board Association issued a press release earlier this month stating “public funding for education should be used to strengthen the public school system, rather than funding private schools that are not accessible to all Alberta students.”
Private schools receive approximately 70 per cent of what public school boards receive for base operating grants, which will come to approximately $248 million for the 2016-17 school year, according to the ASBA press release. The ASBA represents 61 school boards in the province, including CTR Catholic and Foothills School Division.
“Private schools are certainly an option for some families, but our belief that the funding that supports private education, should not come from the public purse,” said Mary Martin, vice-president of the ASBA
However, heads of the two prominent private schools in the Okotoks area, would argue they are saving taxpayers’ money.
“There is not any doubt about that,” said Dr. Bill Jones, head of schools at Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School.
“The simple fact is if they go to a public school you pay a lot more than if they go to a private school - as a taxpayer.”
He said not only is there a 30-per-cent savings in the base operating grants in private school funding, but also private institutions must pay for building the schools and transportation.
The government also does not contribute to private school teachers’ pension funds, said Jones.
“When you add it all up, it’s hundreds of millions of dollars that they (independent schools) save every year,” Jones said.
“Some people think that if you yanked all the money for independent schools, something like $200-million, you would save $200-million. But the reality is a lot of (the independent schools) would fold up if they didn’t have the funding.
“So these kids would be back in public school, the government would be building schools and paying 100 per cent.”
A press release from the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta stated independent schools saved the Alberta government $750-million from the 2010/’11 school year to 2014/’15.
Edison School head of school Beth Chernoff agreed with Jones.
“We save the government funding because we receive smaller amounts of money than the public system,” Chernoff said. She said if the government took away the funding, Edison would have to increase tuition fees and lose students.
Christine Pretty, chairwoman of the Foothills School Division, said she was aware of the ASBA press release and the issue will be discussed at an upcoming school retreat.
“The reality is, if we (the Province) have to close private schools because we don’t want to fund them, where are all those kids going to go?” Pretty said. “Alberta schools are at full capacity and we need more.
“I don’t think private schools, who have privately raised money to build their schools are just going to hand them over to the government and say ‘here.’ The government did not pay for those schools.”
She said there are many factors to look at concerning the issue and it will be discussed at a later date.
The ASBA press release comes on the heels of Bill 504, a private member’s bill by Progressive Conservative leader Ric McIver to ensure funding for private and charter schools.
The bill asked the government to “affirm its commitment to allowing parents the choice of educational delivery for their children, including home, charter, private, francophone, separate, or public education programs.”
The NDP government amended McIver’s bill to “support public education…while affirming its commitment to allowing parents the choice of education delivery for their children… where they offer alternatives not available in the public system.”
Highwood MLA Wayne Anderson said the Wildrose party supports government funding for private schools.
“We support alternative school programs, including home-ed, charter schools and private schools, that always been our policy,” Anderson said. “Bill 504 was just to reaffirm that support for independent schools.”
He added many independents target high needs and special needs student. He would hate to see that compromised.
McIver received national headlines when he was kicked out of legislature in April, demanding the amendments were made without proper debate.
In 2013, members of the ASBA approved a policy to “order to build a viable, sustainable, equitable public education system, public funding currently provided to private schools should be reallocated to public education.”
Martin said school boards continue to support that policy.
