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Education property tax provides an integral connection between Catholic school boards and their electors.

Alberta Catholic Separate School - Constitutional Right To A Taxation Assessment Base:
A paper on education property tax by ACSTA legal counsel, Kevin Feehan.

School Support Declaration for the City of Edmonton

http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/education-property-tax-facts-and-information

Protecting our schools

Catholic schools fulfill an essential element in the mission of the Church, by offering formation of the whole person - academically, physically, socially and spiritually. In providing this formation, Catholic school boards have a commitment to ensuring a strong connection with Catholic electors in their communities.Catholic education is funded through education property taxes, grants and general provincial revenue. However, in the fall of 2005, a bill introduced in the Alberta Legislature to eliminate the education property tax raised concerns for Catholic school boards. The bill did not make it further than First Reading, but gained highly-publicized support from prominent individuals, as well as the provincial associations representing many of your locally elected town, county, municipal and city councils. With such support it is likely that the issue will rise again.As a Catholic elector, you need to be aware of your right to support your Catholic schools through your property taxes. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA) firmly believes that the education property tax provides a vital connection between Catholic separate school boards and you, their electors. Catholic boards requisition municipalities for education property taxes and do so for sound sociological, denominational and political reasons. When this discussion reaches your local community, speak out for your faith-based schools and your right to support them with your local taxes.

3 Critical reasons why Catholic separate boards requisition municipalities for education taxes:

  1. It recognizes and affirms the constitutional right of Catholic separate school boards to requisition municipalities for education taxes.
     
  2. Taxation is a vital connection between school boards and their electors. It serves as a means of accountability for school trustees to provide quality education to those in their local communities, including those without school-aged children.
     
  3. It provides a stable source of funding for public education and allows for a public declaration of support by electors for Catholic education.

Declare your support

Taxes declared in support of the Catholic separate school district in your municipality benefit your children. The Constitution Act of Canada and the Alberta School Act stipulate that individuals who are Catholic must direct their education taxes to Catholic separate school boards where they exist. If a property is jointly owned by two or more individuals of different denominations or faiths, the individuals must direct their taxes to the school boards in proportion to their ownership.To ensure your property taxes are supporting your Catholic separate school, you must declare your school support as "separate" on your annual property assessment notice and tax bill. If a declaration of school support is not filed by a property owner, the property assessment and tax bills show the school support going to the public school district. *If your support designation is incorrect, it should be corrected by completing and submitting a School Support Declaration form, obtained from your local city, town or municipal office. A change in school support does not take effect until the following calendar year. You may also contact ACSTA at (780) 484-6209 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will assist you in contacting your local Catholic school district for more information.*St. Paul ERD, Catholic support is designated "public."

ACSTA

The Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA) values the right of Catholic separate boards to requisition against the education property tax assessment base. This is an essential operation of Catholic separate boards and a vital link to their electors.ACSTA represents all Catholic separate, Catholic public and Catholic francophone school boards and corporations in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. Our Catholic districts educate more than 180,000 students, about a third of the student population in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon. We support the collaboration of family, school and parish in working to preserve and enhance the rights of Catholics to education based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Download the Taxation Brochure

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Catholic schools are part of the dual system of public education in Alberta. They are publicly funded, and operate under the same provincial legislation (the Education Act) as non-denominational schools. They have been operating in Alberta since the 1840's, before Alberta became a province of Canada.

But what is unique about Catholic schools? The Declaration on Christian Education, published in 1965 following the Second Vatican Council, describes the purpose of a Catholic school as trying "to relate all of human culture to the good news of salvation, so that the light of faith will illumine everything that the students will gradually come to know about the world, about life, and about the human person." Parents, teachers, administrators, trustees, and the entire Catholic community are entrusted in this vital mission.

Parents are recognized as the primary educators of their children, and they choose how their children will be formally educated. Teachers play a crucial role in leading students to an understanding of the world which is illuminated by "the light of faith", and administrators create the environment in which this understanding takes place. The Catholic community is involved through local parishes, which work closely with schools in areas such as sacramental preparation; individually, through the allocation of property taxes; and through the Church, represented by the local Bishop, who is responsible for approving the religious education program taught in the school.

Catholic trustees have a significant role within this partnership. They oversee the operation of their local school district on behalf of the provincial government, and on behalf of the Catholic community who elect them. As such, they are both political and faith leaders in their communities. To support trustees in this unique role, and provide an opportunity to discuss and report on issues significant to Catholic education across the province, the ACSTA was formed in 1966.

As an incorporated society, the ACSTA operates under a set of objectives, and is guided by a mission statement which is developed and approved by the membership.

Today, the Alberta Catholic School Trustees' Association (ACSTA) represents all 24 Catholic anglophone and francophone school boards, and 153 trustees, who in turn serve more than 183,500 students in 450 Catholic schools. Our membership includes the Catholic districts of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory and Lloydminster, which is designated as both an Alberta and Saskatchewan jurisdiction. The non-denominational St. Paul Education Regional Division is also a member of ACSTA.

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Executive Officers

2 vice president kelly whalen holy family cssd web
 
  
Kelly Whalen, President,  Holy Family CSSD   

 

 

 

st. thomas aquinas rcssd dawn miller web
 
 
 
Andrew Gustafson, Interim Vice President, Christ the Redeemer CSSD 
 

  

1 president harry salm christ the redeemer cssd web

 
 
 
Harry Salm, Past President,  Christ the Redeemer CSSD   
 
 
 

Directors

calgary rcssd mary martin web
 

 

Mary Martin,  Calgary RCSSD   
 
 
 
 
 
Katherine Williams,  Catholic Education Association of YUKON (CEAY)

 

 jennifer 264x325 
conseil scolaire centre nord steve daigle web

 

   

Jennifer Leclerc,  Conseil Scolaire Centre-Est
 
 
 
 
 
 
Giscard Kodiane,  Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord
 
 
 
conseil scolaire francosud geneviève poulin web
 

 

 

Geneviève Poulin,  Conseil Scolaire FrancoSud
 
 
 
conseil scolaire du nord ouest pascal leclerc web
 
 

 

Mario Paradis,  Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest
 
 
 
east central robert gratton 

 

 
Robert Joseph Gratton,  East Central CSSD
 
 
 

  edmonton catholic terry harris feb 2023 

 

 

Terry Harris,  Edmonton CSSD   

 

 

 ted paszek cropped
 
 
 
Ted Paszek,  Elk Island CSSD   
 
  
evergreen catholic jennifer landry
 
 
 

 

Jennifer Landry,  Evergreen CSSD   
 
fort mcmurray rcssd cathie langmead web
 
 

 

 
 Cathie Langmead,  Fort McMurray RCSSD    
 
 
 
grande prairie rcssd michael ouellette web
 
 

 

John Croken,  Grande Prairie RCSSD   
 

 

greater st. albert noreen radford
 
 
 
Noreen Radford,  Greater St. Albert RCSSD
 
 
 
holy family cssd john kuran web
  

 

 John Kuran, Holy Family CSSD   
 

 

 
holy spirit rcssd linda ellefson web
 
 

 

Linda Ellefson, Holy Spirit RCSSD 
 
 

 

lakeland rcssd vince mcdonald web
 

 

 

Vince MacDonald,  Lakeland RCSSD
 
 
 
living waters cssd gemma chrisite web
 
 
 
Gemma Christie, Living Waters CSSD
 

 

 

 

  Lloydminster RCSSD

 

 medicine hat kathy glasgo
 
 
Kathy Glasgo,  Medicine Hat RCSSD   
 
  
 
                   red deer cynthia leyson                                     
 
  
st. paul lorette andersen web
Cynthia Leyson, Red Deer CSSD
 
 

 

 
 
 
Lorette Andersen,  St. Paul School Division
 
 

 

st. thomas aquinas rcssd dawn miller web
 
  

 

Jolyne De Marco,  St. Thomas Aquinas RCSSD   
 

 

 

yellowknife catholic schools susan waddell web
 
 
Susan Waddell,  Yellowknife Catholic Schools  

Ex-Officio

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Bishop William McGrattan, Diocese of Calgary
ACSTA Liaison Bishop

 

 

 

Observers 

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Chantel Axani, CCSSA President,  Holy Spirit CSSD
 
   
  
   gary strothers
 
 
Gary Strother, CCSSA Executive Director

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Who we are: 

Mission

Celebrate, preserve, promote, and enhance Catholic education.

Vision

"That all have access to a publicly funded Catholic education."

Core Purpose

We are committed to a unified voice providing spiritual and political leadership for publicly funded Catholic education.

The Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association (ACSTA) was formed in 1966 to support and represent 24 member boards from across Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. We advocate for the Catholic schools system at the provincial & territorial level, and provide faith-formation and fellowship opportunities for Catholic trustees. 

Catholic schools are distinct formational communities that are able to nurture the spiritual, academic, and physical needs of students. We do this by fully permeating the Alberta Education curriculum with our faith - including the teachings of Sacred Scripture, Catholic Tradition and Apostolic authority. Catholic education is a unique partnership between school, home, and parish that seeks to develop a student’s whole person by integrating academic excellence and faith. 

The central focus of Catholic education at all levels is Jesus Christ. Every Catholic school is ordered towards Him. Our schools strive to manifest His presence and teachings in the education of children entrusted to our care.


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 Please click on the link below to download the following:

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Whereas the aim of Catholic Education is the development of each student towards personal fulfillment and responsible citizenship motivated by the Spirit of the Gospel and modeled on the example of Jesus Christ, the Catholic School Trustee shall, within the duties prescribed in Acts and Regulations and reflecting a ministry within the Church:

  1. acknowledge that Catholic schools are an expression of the teaching mission of the Church;
  2. provide an example to the Catholic Community by active participation in the communal life of a parish, and by a personal lifestyle that reflects the teachings of the Church;
  3. provide the best possible Catholic education according to the programs approved by the Canadian Conference of Catholic bishops and the provincial Minister of Education;
  4. affirm a strong sense of Christian Community;
  5. recognize and defend the democratic and corporate authority of the board
  6. respect the confidentiality of the board;
  7. strictly support all board policies;
  8. ensure the affairs of the Board are conducted with openness, justice and compassion; work to improve personal knowledge of current Catholic educational research and practices;
  9. provide support, encouragement and prayer for the efforts of all persons engaged in the ministry of Catholic Education in Canada.

Canadian Catholic School Trustees' Association
Approved 1998

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  • Catholic schools are a publicly funded, vibrant part of the public education system in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon.
  • Catholic schools provide an environment for their students which encourages not only high academic achievement, but also person and communal spiritual formation.
  • The presence of the Catholic faith is permeated within every element of the school. Our Catholic school communities are guided by faith.
  • Indeed, Catholic schools are something special!
  • Catholic education has held a longstanding distinct role in Alberta’s public education system. This role existed prior to the creation of the province and then was further solidified constitutionally with the Alberta Act, 1905. Catholic education is still celebrated and continually strengthened today through Alberta’s publicly funded system.
  • Enrolment in Catholic schools has experienced a steady increase.
  • Within Catholic school communities the values of the Gospel and Catholic teachings are not only taught but they are witnessed and exemplified in action.
  • A commitment to the ethics of social justice dwells not only within the walls of the school, but also within the community. This contributes to the wellbeing of our larger communities. Catholic schools celebrate this nurturing and know that it makes Catholic education something special.
  • Catholic schools have become a definitive and positive choice for many families.

For more information on Catholic schools in Alberta, Northwest Territories and Yukon, please contact the Alberta Catholic School Trustees’ Association or your local Catholic school board.