Fundraising company left in the dark over money owed by defunct Sask. private school
A fundraising company says it was left in the dark by a Saskatoon Montessori School that is facing allegations about teachers not being paid.
Make It Sow helps facilitate fundraisers with seed sales.
The company says Wild Spirit Education Ltd. ordered 100 brochures and order forms in November. Make It Sow shipped the discounted seeds to the school based on order pledges.
Don Gayford, the owner of Make It Sow, said Wild Spirit was invoiced $1,043.
"We knew there was trouble coming because it's been three months since we sent the order and we're not getting any response," Gayford said.
After CTV News contacted the owner of the school, Christa Nelson, Make It Sow said it received an e-transfer for the balance.
Nelson maintains there was an agreement for the payment to be made at the end of June.
Gayford said he doesn't recall this arrangement and has been trying to reach Nelson for months.
"There was arrangements made with Don to pay our balance by the end of the month, and Don agreed to that arrangement," Nelson wrote in an email to CTV News, adding that the full payment was sent on Tuesday morning.
Wild Spirit was fundraising for classroom supplies, according to a former teacher.
CTV News asked Nelson what the profits from the fundraiser were used for and is awaiting a response.
The private school shut down following claims from former teachers that they were not being paid.
Parents started a GoFundMe page to pay their kids' teachers.
A GoFundMe campaign to raise money for unpaid teachers claims Wild Spirit Education owes over $40,000 in back pay. (Source: GoFundMe)
The Ministry of Labour Relations says its received 14 claims against Wild Spirit Education Ltd. about unpaid work, and the Employment Standards division is investigating.
Nelson said she's working with the ministry "to ensure that all claims filed are accurate and taken care of."
Wild Spirit is a registered independent school that does not receive any money from the government, according to the Ministry of Education.
The school advertised nature-based programming for kids as young as 18 months, up to Grade 12.
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