By Angela Brown

Light of Christ continues fundraising to support appeal

Dec 21, 2017 | 4:00 PM

Light of Christ Catholic School Division is continuing its fundraising efforts to support the appeal of the court decision to end provincial funding for non-Catholic students attending Catholic schools in Saskatchewan.

The school division started fundraising in November when it first advised parents and staff of the issue.

“After Christmas our plans are to engage our parishes in our school division in the North Battleford area, to basically let people know what the purpose and background of the campaign is,” Director of Education Cory Rideout said. “Hopefully they’ll consider making a donation.”

The decision by the Queen’s Bench that non-Catholic students attending Catholic schools can’t be publicly funded is expected to go into effect June 30, 2018. It relates to the outcome of a lengthy lawsuit, known as the Theodore Case, that involved Good Spirit School Division, Christ the Teacher Roman Catholic Separate School and the Government of Saskatchewan.  

In an April 20 decision, Justice Donald Layh ruled funding of “non-minority faith students” attending Catholic schools violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well as “the state’s duty of religious neutrality.”    

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On May 19 the Government of Saskatchewan filed a notice of appeal of the initial Court of Queen’s Bench ruling. Then on Nov. 8, the provincial government introduced The School Choice Protection Act, which invoked the notwithstanding clause of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, in an effort to stay the judge’s decision, and protect the current funding process in the province for the next five years.

“The notwithstanding clause has to be renewed every five years,” Rideout said. “It’s up to the government for the day to make that decision, whether or not they are going to exercise that clause. So regardless of what happens with the notwithstanding clause, the Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association and the Government of Saskatchewan launched an appeal to the Theodore Case decision.” 

“We feel the need as Catholic school divisions in Saskatchewan to appeal this decision and move forward, hopefully with a different outcome,” he added.

The Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association (SCSBA) goal is to raise $300,000 from the eight member Catholic school divisions in the province to help cover litigation costs expected in the lengthy appeal process.

Light of Christ has a goal to raise about $14,000 locally, based on a breakdown on roughly about a 2,000 student population, at $7 per student.

Rideout said ultimately parents should have the choice what school they want to send their child to.

He said all students attending Light of Christ schools receive a Catholic education, regardless.

“Our schools are permeated in faith, our curriculum and so forth. It’s no secret,” he said. “When non Catholic or Catholic kids and families come to our schools to enroll we let them know that. At the end of the day, it’s the parent’s choice, or the child’s choice whether or not they attend our schools, but our doors our open. We’ll receive anyone and whoever wants to receive a Catholic education, a faith-based education from any of our schools.” 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow