Two significant decisions by the Edmonton Catholic School Board Tuesday night, a move to ease some of the financial burden on parents and one surrounding its so-called "inclusive communities" or LGBTQ policy.
First on the agenda, school trustees voted to eliminate fees for the 2016-17 school year. Officials indicate this move will save parents anywhere from 50 to a few hundred dollars per child. The board says it wants to respond to the pressures families are currently facing.
All this means the burden could be passed on to schools, with the elimination of fees wiping away $7 million in funds. The board says it will be looking to the province for financial assistance. While fees are being eliminated in time for the upcoming school year, the board adds it may reinstate those fees or a portion of them down the road.
Edmonton Catholic Schools also now have a board-approved policy intended to protect LGBTQ students. The policy now states, "Edmonton Catholic Schools share a foundational belief that all children are unique, loved by God and created in God's image.”
The policy will now go to the Minister of Education for review, all of Alberta's 61 school boards must present their respective policies by the end of the month.
With files from Danelle Boivin
