[Mikemike]

Catholic schools in Alberta do act as public schools. They follow the Alberta Curriculum, Take students regardless of creed (but must agree not to fight the catholic nature of the school), ability or means. And they, along with alternative programs within public boards, tend to produce equally good outcomes for their students; and isn't that what education should be all about?

By all means don't spend public money to build duplicate facilities in new neighbourhoods, but in the cities and larger towns where those schools exist and are in demand and continue to meet the requirements of the Alberta curriculum proposals for de-funding appears to be vindictive on the part of activists and empire-building when espoused by public school boards - if the point of public education is education then there's no basis for denying instructional funding to any child in any school that meets the curriculum.