By Sheldon Spackman

Advocacy Efforts

Red Deer Public Schools writing Education Minister to retain legal name

Oct 11, 2019 | 2:25 PM

The Red Deer Public Schools Board of Trustees will be writing Education Minister Adriana LaGrange in their bid to keep the word “Public” in their legal name.

The Public School Boards Association of Alberta (PSBAA) has asked all 41 school districts in the province to write LaGrange regarding the issue.

Board Chair Nicole Buchanan says Red Deer Public will be sending their letter to LaGrange in the next few days.

“I know that some other school boards have passed motions and are also supporting sending a letter to the Minister, even some school boards that did not have ‘Public’ in their name are supporting the letter that was sent out by PSBAA,” says Buchanan. “It’s extremely important. Red Deer Public identifies as a public school district, we welcome every single student. Being public is part of our identity just as much as Catholic is to the separate school system.”

Buchanan says trustees have also approved revisions to Board Policy #1 – the district’s foundational statements.

Prevention, Access, Recovery, and Coordination

Safe Harbour officially hands over shelter keys, establishes accessible navigation hub

12h ago

lacombe and sylvan lake

December 2025 (un)employment data released for Alberta sub-regions

13h ago

21 years with WCPS

Darcy Blum appointed principal of Lacombe Outreach School

15h ago

“As part of the revision, the Board took a stronger stance on public school education to include that we believe public school education is unique, valuable and distinct, and that our schools belong to and benefit our entire community,” she explains. “Our schools are inclusive and universally acceptable, welcoming and celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of every student. We play a vitally important role for the long term well-being of our society.”

A Ministerial Order issued by LaGrange on Aug. 15 called for the word “Public” to be removed from the legal names of eight Alberta school divisions, including Red Deer Public Schools, by Sept. 30.

LaGrange said the move was made in order to standardize school division names across the province.

PSBAA President Cathy Hogg took issue with that notion in the letter send to public school districts on Sept. 20.

“Please note that there was no prior consultation on this matter during meetings with the civil service, nor the Minister,” the letter reads. “Our position on the inclusion of the word ‘Public’ is this: In the same manner that the Minister has the authority to add wording to the legal name of our Catholic colleagues, the Minister can easily resolve this matter by adding ‘Public’ to our school division names at the legal level.”

Hogg highlighted recent comments from LaGrange that if all 41 school districts in Alberta made a request that she may be prepared to add “Public” to the legal names of the districts in question.

“While we would hope that all 41 public boards would be in agreement, the requirement of a 100 per cent compliance from all individual boards is problematic, as it has the potential to cause disharmony among public school boards,” Hogg notes in the letter.

“We will make every effort to reach out to the Minister in the hope of finding a satisfactory resolution.”