Calgary Islamic School Consultation

Palliser School Division is committed to equitable learning opportunities in support of student achievement. To provide students with increased opportunities, we provide Alternative Education opportunities, including to students within the Calgary Islamic School community.

Will students be able to attend the Akram-Jomaa Campus and the Omar Bin Al-Khattab Campus for the next two school years (2021-2022, 2022-2023)?

Yes.


What is the status of the agreement between Palliser School Division and the Muslim Community Foundation of Calgary?

An initial agreement to provide an Alternative School program at the Calgary Islamic School was made in August 2015. This five year agreement expired in August 2020. For the past two years, we have been working together with community representatives to renegotiate and extend our agreement for an additional five years.


What about our school fees? Can they support the enhanced costs?

Palliser School Division collects fees in accordance with the Alberta Education Act, these fees are used for cost-recovery only (ie: field trip expenses).

Alternative program fees collected for the operation of the alternative program are the responsibility of the society. Questions regarding these fees and how they can be used should be directed to the society.

I’ve heard that Palliser School Division issued a notice to end its relationship with the Muslim Council of Calgary. Why?

Our initial agreement contained a three-year notice period for either party to exit the agreement. This was put in place to ensure that families were not disrupted by unexpected changes. The School Division was required to issue a three-year notice if a renewal was not in place prior to the expiry date of our initial agreement (August 31, 2020).


What was in this notice?

The notice indicated that an agreement was not reached as of August 2020. Palliser School Division will continue to strive to reach an agreement but if one cannot be reached then the partnership will end effective August 2023. We understand there were many unexpected disruptions due to COVID-19 and while the notice had to be provided we fully anticipated that an agreement could be obtained prior to the deadline.


Will the Calgary Islamic School Alternative Program be shutting down and if so, when?

If current negotiations do not result in a revised education services agreement, the School Division’s relationship with the society will terminate on August 31, 2023. Palliser School Division will be unable to provide educational programming for the 2023-2024 school year and onward. Future operations of the school will then be determined by the society.



Why is an educational services agreement required?

Alternative Programs that are delivered in partnership with a society must have an agreement in place to ensure that negotiated costs and responsibilities are provided as agreed upon and all legal and legislative requirements are being met.


If a new education services agreement is not agreed upon, what will this mean to the students who currently attend? Where will they study?

Future arrangements will be the responsibility of the society. This question is best directed to them.


What happens next?

We remain hopeful that a solution can be obtained and an agreement put in place prior to the deadline. We are committed to providing our families with transparent information throughout these negotiations and encourage you to submit any additional questions on this page.