The Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association has started a fundraising campaign to cover the legal cost of appealing a recent court ruling to end provincial funding for non-Catholics attending Catholic schools.
“(We’ve) always provided that opportunity to welcome non-Catholics into our schools as well. We want to maintain that into our future,” said association president Vicky Bonnell.
The April 20 Court of Queen’s Bench ruling stems from a dispute that started in more than 10 years ago in Theodore, Saskatchewan.
In 2003, Yorkdale School Division, now Good Spirit School Division, closed down its kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school in the town of Theodore because of declining enrolment. The division planned to bus its 42 students to the community of Springside, 17 kilometres away.
In response, a local group created its own Catholic school division and opened St. Theodore Roman Catholic School. That prompted Good Spirit School Division to launch a lawsuit, claiming the creation of the new school division was not to serve Catholics in the community, but rather to prevent the students from being bused to a neighbouring town.
Justice Donald Layh stayed his ruling to end provincial funding until June 30, 2018. After that, the ruling will impact an estimated 10,000 students who attend Catholic schools, but are not Catholic.
The association estimates the appeal will cost it $300,000.
“Our launch today includes letters being sent out through the school divisions, asking all of our supporters to be involved,” said Bonnell.
“That would include the parents, include the staffs, parishioners, catholic organizations, clergy, Catholic and non-Catholic people.”
All eight Catholic school divisions in the province are taking part in the campaign, which runs through to the end of January. During the legal proceedings, money raised will also help fund non-Catholic students attending the Catholic schools.
Last week, the Saskatchewan government introduced legislation to invoke the notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If passed, the legislation would allow the government to keep funding students who attend public or Catholic schools, regardless of their religious affiliation.
