5 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Louis Riel division parent council suspended amid catchment fight
The Louis Riel School Division has suspended the operations of one of its 41 parent advisory councils amid a stalemate surrounding controversial catchment changes.
The volunteer-run collective at J.H. Bruns Collegiate has been in limbo for the better part of the 2024-2025 school year.
The group's last regular meeting with administrators at the Grade 9-12 school in Southdale took place in September. The council was formally put on hiatus in February.
'This suspension was initiated following the principal's insistence on controlling the PAC's agenda, including requiring in-person collaboration before agenda distribution, restricting parent questions during meetings, and limiting agenda items to only those deemed 'actionable,'' Alex Razos, a father of three, wrote in a recent letter to Education Minister Tracy Schmidt.
'These demands are not only inappropriate but fundamentally incompatible with the independent, parent-led nature of a PAC.'
Razos said families are being punished for asking about the fallout of catchment changes in southeast Winnipeg.
The advisory council could be penalized by the Canada Revenue Agency if it remains inactive and cannot meet to sort out filing necessary documentation, he said.
Razos' middle child attends J.H. Bruns — one of three high schools affected by a plan to address high demand for French immersion in the Louis Riel School Division and growth in Sage Creek and surrounding areas.
The board of trustees voted in June 2022 to approve a building swap, which has been repeatedly delayed, between Collège Béliveau and Windsor Park Collegiate, the larger of the two neighbouring sites.
Trustees also agreed to change the designated high school for English students living in Sage Creek, from WPC to J.H. Bruns.
At the time, the board voted to lobby the province for funding to expand capacity at J.H. Bruns, located 1.6 kilometres closer to the suburb than WPC, so it could accommodate an influx of students.
Razos and others have questioned whether there was a simpler solution, given senior administration has proposed renovations be undertaken at three high schools.
'At the end of the day, we're volunteer parents that just want to discuss the school and make it better, as best we can — knowing that we have these hurdles in front of us,' he said during a phone interview.
The division originally suggested an addition to J.H. Bruns could be complete 'as early as September 2024.' Provincial funding to begin the design stage of the project was only approved in early 2025.
Multiple parents told the Free Press their inquiries about timelines and the school's response to overcrowding have been met with hostility.
'Persistence isn't persecution. We want to know what will happen (to our kids),' said one parent of a J.H. Bruns student who asked their name be withheld to protect their teenager's identity.
A government spokesperson said Schmidt met with members of the advisory council in April and immediately requested her office follow up with the division.
Superintendent Christian Michalik and board chair Chris Sigurdson both said the school division has extended multiple invitations to the council to engage in dialogue, including through a mediator provided by the Manitoba School Boards Association.
'We are hopeful that, in time, through direct discussion, the relationship between the division and the PAC at J.H. Bruns can be repaired,' Michalik said in a statement. 'For that reason, we do not intend to engage in discussion through the media.'
Sigurdson, who has sat on the division's board since 2010, called the impasse 'unfortunate.'
'We have many, many schools in our division that have active PACs that do great work for our communities and they follow the protocols,' he said.
The division has informed the council that its executive is still responsible for fulfilling the role of a treasurer who recently resigned, and Louis Riel School Division's chief financial officer can assist with any outstanding filings.
Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie.
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