Catholic students find way to stay at crammed public schools

Students being turned away fromovercrowded schools in southwest Edmonton are finding a way around the rules in order to stay.

Johnny Bright and Esther Starkman Schools were forced to take drastic measures tocope with explosive growth in the city's newestneighbourhoods.

It eliminatedGrades 8 and 9, forcing those students to transfer to schools nearly 10 kilometres away.

It also closed the schools to students living outside the school's attendance, or catchment, areasas well as to students registered on school forms asresidents of Edmonton Catholic Schools jurisdiction.

"Identifying themselves as Catholic means they already have a school district to attend," said public school board spokesperson Jane Sterling.

Originally about 80 students were registered as Catholic at the two schools, but over the last number of days that number has changed.

Now onlyone student remains registered as Catholic atEsther Starkman and 15 at Johnny Bright.

Last Fridaythose 16 familiesreceivedletters from the public school board telling them they cannot return to the schools next fall.

Ydamys Gonzalez, mother of 11-year-old Victoria Gonzalez, called the decision unfair.

"I was shocked on Friday when I received that call," she said. "Because we are Catholic, we are no longer welcome to register next year at the school."

Victoriawrote a letter to her MLA calling the decision "religious discrimination."

Under the School Act, Catholic families are welcome to attend public schools if there is space, but not at the expense of public school students if the school is full, Sterling said.

If parentswant to change their registration, it's as easy as calling the school office, Sterling said, adding the school board anticipated many Catholic families might do just that.

The public board is getting some sympathy from the Catholic board, whichcontemplated a similar move when faced with an overcrowding issue of its own in the past.

In the end the Catholic board found another solution and no student was asked to find another school.