Parents frustrated by closure of Edmonton Catholic school and its Polish bilingual program

Sat., February 26, 2022

St. Basil Catholic Elementary and Junior High School and its bilingual Polish program will close on June 30, 2022. (Trevor Wilson/CBC - image credit)

Parents of students who attend St. Basil Catholic Elementary and Junior High are frustrated by a decision to close the school and its Polish bilingual program.

That decision, along with one to close the junior high program at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was made on Feb. 23 at a school board meeting of the Edmonton Catholic School Division (ECSD).

"I'm disappointed that ECSD planning was not willing to work with us further on a more viable, less permanent solution," said Emilia Ziomko, chair of the St. Basil parent council.

Ziomko, who moved to Canada from Poland when she was a child, has three children currently enrolled in the central Edmonton school, at 11510 102nd St.

"They picked up a lot of the Polish culture and the Polish heritage and history as well as the language," she said. "So that's going to be very disappointing that they don't get to continue that."

Supplied by Emilia Ziomko

A news release issued by the school division cites a multi-year decline in enrolment, along with transportation and operating deficits as reasons for the closure of St. Basil and its Polish program.

"As was shared in the school closure proposal, the Polish Bilingual Program has not been financially viable over a number of years despite marketing and recruitment efforts by the Division," it said.

"It is important that programs of choice be financially viable so as not to negatively impact the resources available to all Division students," board chair Sandra Palazzo said in the release.

The school district estimates 192 students will be impacted by the St. Basil closure and be in search of a new school in the fall.

"Kids attend this program from all over the city. We've got kids, like my kids who attend from Spruce Grove. We've got kids from Leduc all the way from Summerside and northeast, you name it." said Ziomko.

"Every corner of the city and they're going to be all separated and dispersed to their own neighbouring schools, some of which are already over capacity."

Parent Przemyslaw Simon Kursa, whose son is enrolled in the second grade, was involved in the school board's public participation process.

He was hoping the Polish program would at least be relocated to another school and his son Anthony could be transferred there.

But in a report, the board cites parental feedback received in February 2020 that it says did not support the relocation of the program.

"We've tried so many things and it's almost like falling on deaf ears," said Kursa, who is also a member of the school's parent council.

Trevor Wilson/CBC

Kursa hasn't given up yet as he keeps hunting for another suitable school for his son.

"We're trying everything right now. We're also opening up a line of communication to the public school system to see if they would be interested," he said.

"So we'll be asking parents, 'Are you interested in this? If we want to keep this program, would you be willing to move?'"