Concerned Parents of SD76 make deadline for re-submitted petition

By Tim Kalinowski on July 22, 2017.

tkalinowski@medicinehatnews.com @MHNTimKal

Concerned Parents of SD76 has made changes to its petition opposing SD76’s Gender and Sexual Identity Policy 622, and has met the school division’s deadline of July 21 to re-submit, says the group’s spokesperson Gerry Prince.

“This should tie things up,” states Prince. “We thought the petition met the criteria last time, but the board asked we re-format a few things and submit in a format which is a little easier for them, which as an act of good faith we did. We are eager for this to move onto the next stage.”

Prince says he realizes the SD76 board is following provincial guidelines with its Policy 622, but by moving to the public hearing and committee phase based on this petition, local parents will have a chance to have substantial say on these policies, and have that information taken back to the Minister of Education.

“I think the school board understands the issues, but this is our mechanism in the School Act for lodging a sort of official concern about the way things are going,” says Prince. “Even though some of these things might not be the board’s own directions, this is really our opportunity to say this isn’t the way we think things should be going.”

SD76 board chair Rick Massini confirms the division’s secretary/treasurer will look over the groups’ re-submitted petition in the coming days, and prepare for public hearings on Policy 622 later this fall if it is deemed acceptable.

“If they meet the requirements for the petition, the School Act is definitive on the process, and we’ll stick with what it says in the School Act,” said Massini.

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