A long running simmering educational issue in Morinville was placed on a heavy boil, just in time for the provincial election.
After more than a year of demanding a secular option for students in the community, where the Greater St. Albert Catholic School board runs all four schools, some parents got their wish this spring with provincial legislation that switched all of the region's school boards.
The St. Albert and Sturgeon Valley School Districts Establishment Act passed the legislature, just before the writ was dropped last week. The bill turns the Catholic board into a separate school board, paving the way for the Sturgeon School division to also cover the community.
It also flipped the two boards in St. Albert, turning the formerly separate St. Albert Protestant board into the public board and the Catholic board into the separate board.
The last remaining issue, which education minister Thomas Lukaszuk has not yet decided on, is turning over one of the Catholic school buildings in Morinville to the Sturgeon School division.
PC candidate Maureen Kubinec said the situation in Morinville had to be corrected and the decision the government came to was the right one.
A former trustee, Kubinec said she was impressed the minister worked with all the school boards collaboratively on the solution.
"I think they have been looking for a solution for a long time, so the fact that all the groups sat down and came up with a solution definitely has merit."
Kubinec said deciding what school or schools the Sturgeon board will operate will be a complex problem and admits it is likely going to be hard on the community.
"Not everyone is going to get what they want because it is a complex problem and you know the magic solution might be a brand new school, but is that a reality?"
Liberal candidate Leslie Penny said while the government's decision is the right one, it took far too long to address the problem.
"I think they put off people way too long, I think particularly once the issue has been brought up they should have been dealt with in a much more timely manner."
She agrees swapping a school in the community is going to be difficult, but sees no way around it.
"When you start to talk about schools of any sort whether it is changing, closing, building, anything like that, there are going to be issues."
NDP candidate Trudy Grebenstein agrees that it took too long to address the problem.
"I don't think they did their best work, mainly because it could have been addressed a long time ago."
She said while Lukaszuk moved quickly on the legislative solution, the school swap has been left unaddressed.
"He took it on, but he never finished it."
Wildrose candidate Link Byfield argues there is still too little known about the government's solution with the school transfer hanging in the balance.
"I get the sense that there has been a solution imposed on the community, which some people like the sound of and other people don't, but neither side yet knows what the practical aspects of it are."
He doesn't dispute the rights of parents wanting a non-religious education, but said he believes the government should have held a plebiscite early on to get a real handle on the level of interest, allowing it to best weigh options.
"Nobody ever questioned that right, the question is one of pragmatics, how many schools are in demand for non-religious education."
Evergreen candidate Lisa Grant said the government took far too long to get involved in a decision where the demographics and evidence were clear.
"I think it is time to look at reality and the demographics of the school board and the region and realize that maybe it is time to get with the times."
Grant said she sees the challenge in reallocating a school, but also sees it is as unavoidable.
"It is a tough decision for anybody involved to make, the secular school board definitely does need a brick and mortar school."
One board?
The debate in Morinville has led some, including former education minister David King, to question whether Alberta wouldn't be better off with one school board, ending duplication and making all schools secular.
Kubinec said she believes Albertans value the choice in the educational system.
"One of the beauties of this province is choice. We have so many choices, parents have choices in education."
Penny said she believes the idea has merit, but realizes there would be huge political and legal roadblocks.
"With the resources it takes to run a school, if we could combine and not have two different school boards I would certainly be in favour of that, but I also appreciate that is a minefield."
Grant said the idea is worth a look.
"People have come to depend on the Catholic board, but at the same time there are a lot of other jurisdictions that do just fine."
Grebenstein also said she sees no reason to eliminate the two school board system, nor is it something Albertans want.
"I really don't believe Albertans are ready for that."
