Alberta school-fees fight puts brakes on car deal

[CHIMO]

CALGARY — Diane and Barry Pilbeam never thought that their new Dodge Caliber would be the latest shot in the long-running battle over school fees in Alberta.

Two weeks ago, the Pilbeams were closing a deal to buy the vehicle. But the salesman said there was a snag — a red flag had popped up on the couple's credit reports. The problem: $210 in unpaid school fees that the Calgary Board of Education had forwarded to a collection agency, with a resulting entry on the family's credit history.

While he describes himself as “socially conservative,” Mr. Locking says his organization encompasses parents with a wide range of political beliefs and has the support of both Liberal and Conservative members of the legislature. He said he is surprised that there is not the same level of concern about the reality of mandatory user fees in public education as there is over the possibility of such fees in public health care.

“It's the law that our kids go to school. There's no law that you have to go to the doctor.”

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