Trustee revives call for one school board

Catholics taking in non-Catholics, so it is duplication, says John Hendry

WATERLOO REGION — It bothers public school trustee John Hendry that Catholic elementary schools have enrolled almost 1,000 students who aren’t Catholic.

He’s revived his call to end taxpayer funding for Roman Catholic schools, citing duplicated spending, the blurring of church and state, and an ailing Catholic education system.

“If the Catholic board can’t sustain itself on its own students … then maybe this is the time they should look at collapsing that into one publicly funded system and accommodate Roman Catholic students within it,” said Hendry, of the Waterloo Region District School Board.

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board argues that pressing for its elimination wastes time and energy and would cost taxpayers more, not less.

“It would also unleash a period of great upheaval for students, parents, teachers and administrators right across Ontario,” spokesperson John Shewchuk said in a statement.

“It would irreparably harm, not improve, Ontario’s education system.”

Hendry understands he’s playing a long game, seeing no current appetite to end Catholic school funding among mainstream political parties.

“You’ve got Catholic voters so you’re not gong to try to offend them,” he said. “But I think the reality is over time, things change and they’re going to see that’s the only option that makes sense.”

The Catholic board has enrolled 970 non-Catholic elementary students at the request of parents. Before 2015 the board taught fewer than 150 non-Catholic students, mostly from blended families that wanted their children in the same school.

About one in 16 elementary students is now non-Catholic, meaning each classroom on average has one or more students from outside the faith.

This growth has helped the board recover from losing 2,953 elementary students between 2005 and 2014. Declining enrolment emptied classrooms and stripped millions in government funding. Trustees warned teachers to brace for pink slips.

The board has welcomed others by easing admission restrictions. Elementary admission is still not open to all people. Principals decide on a case-by-case basis.

Non-Catholic students are expected to participate “in all activities and programs in support of the faith life of the school community.”

The board also credits other factors for surging enrolment since 2014, such as a greater effort to attract immigrants, strong student achievement and a fledgling French immersion program.

Ontario says history and a constitutional guarantee permit publicly funded ele- mentary schools to bar non-Catholics. Catholic high schools are open to all faiths.

“I’ve always been brought up to believe there should be a total separation between church and state,” Hendry said.

He sees a local Catholic board that’s losing steam, attracting 26 per cent of students today when it used to attract 28 per cent.

“They’re trying to maintain their funding by enrolling students that are not Catholic. Eventually, they’re going to decline to the point that it won’t make sense,” he said.

Hendry feels taxpayers will save money with one public education system. Shewchuk disagrees, arguing that students, classroom space and supports would not change. He points out that boards already save money by sharing buses and purchasing.

“The notion that creating a single education system in Ontario would save money is just not true,” Shewchuk said.