Hay River MLA Vince McKay has published a petition calling for the establishment of an independent education district in the town.
Hay River schools currently come under the South Slave Divisional Education Council, which is also responsible for education in Fort Resolution, Łútsël K’é, Kátł’odeeche First Nation and Fort Smith, where it is headquartered.
McKay compared his Hay River proposal to YK1, the Yellowknife school district. A Hay River equivalent would be “based on local needs and priorities rather than broad regional compromises that may not fully understand or address our specific challenges,” wrote the MLA, who is also the NWT’s minister of infrastructure and communities.
In an interview with Cabin Radio, he framed the petition as an exploratory starting point for a broader community discussion.
“I just thought it would be a good opportunity to see if there’s some appetite for change,” he said. “Everybody I’ve talked to has the same kind of concerns but no solutions. So here I was trying to find a solution.”
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McKay said the territory’s education legislation requires a petition before a new education district can be created. He acknowledged his petition was the start of what would be a long process – more than a year – if Hay River residents proved enthusiastic to support the change.
The petition’s introductory text alleged that under the South Slave Divisional Education Council, or SSDEC, “administrative bureaucracy often delays crucial funding and policy implementations.”
McKay wrote that the town’s own district would be more financially efficient, increase local autonomy, streamline administration and “ensure that our community has control over how our schools are run.”
“Having the people that are in charge of the ship in town, that live and breathe Hay River education, is probably one of the main reasons,” he told Cabin Radio.
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‘Well-intentioned but misinformed’
In an emailed response, SSDEC public affairs coordinator Michael Holmberg – who said he had presented questions from Cabin Radio to superintendent Souhail Soujah – wrote that the education council was “disappointed that Mr McKay chose this forum to express his concerns.”
Holmberg wrote that McKay had not brought his concerns to the board office or Hay River District Education Authority, and alleged the information he presented in the petition was inaccurate.
“The claim that administrative bureaucracy delays funding or policy implementation is simply not true. Likewise, the suggestion that the division’s regional priorities are not aligned with the priorities of the Hay River community is based on assumptions rather than facts,” Holmberg wrote.
“The petition also states that local tax dollars would remain in Hay River under an independent district. In reality, school funding is provided by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment through a formula based on full-time equivalent (FTE) enrolment, not local tax dollars.
“Mr McKay is well-intentioned, but we believe he is misinformed on these matters.”
After Cabin Radio put that response to him, McKay replied: “That’s exactly why I want our own authority.”
“To hide that there’s issues with the South Slave Divisional Education Council, with funding, with the bureaucracy? I mean, I’ve seen it,” McKay said. “I’ve literally seen emails between a staff member and the DEC in regards to staffing issues and stuff like that, about errors that have happened and the cost to Hay River education.”
The MLA did acknowledge he had not raised his concerns at board level.
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“I’ve spoken to individuals. But this is a process,” he said.
“I’m just one individual. Any resident of the Northwest Territories or Hay River could start this petition.
“I thought at least starting this petition will open the door to discussion and hopefully get the public engagement so we can get something happening.”
Asked if SSDEC had considered the kind of split McKay is proposing, Holmberg wrote that the idea had been raised in the past but “feasibility studies concluded that it was not financially or philosophically viable.”
“The SSDEC believes our diversity and shared purpose strengthen educational opportunities across the region,” he wrote.
“We believe we are stronger together, have a stronger voice together and have achieved significant successes for students by working together.”
There were 47 signatories to the petition as of Wednesday evening.
“I’ve heard of issues in Hay River for education as long as I’ve been here,” said McKay.
“I spent 15 years on town council. I’ve heard it. What is the solution? I honestly don’t know. So here’s an opportunity, and we’ll see what happens.”
