A parent of children attending Alberta's Paul Band First Nation School says she was pushed to backdate their school attendance records.
The mother, who has asked CBC News to conceal her identity over fears she will be ostracized by her community, said she signed a letter stating her children received schooling back in September — more than a month before they began classes at the school, 60 kilometres west of Edmonton.
The letter was given to her by Ruby Bird, the band's director of education, the woman told CBC News.
"I did it because she said to me if I didn't sign it my children wouldn't be able to go to school anywhere and that she'd kick them out of here," she said. "I was all stressed. [I] went home [and] told my husband and he said, 'Just sign it, just as long as the boys are in school.'"
The mother's allegations mirror similar complaints by the school's staff.
In May, the principal, a teaching assistant and all but one of seven teachers at the school learned their contracts wouldn't be renewed for the 2010-11 school year.
About 250 school-age children live on the Paul Band First Nation reserve but only 90 attend the band's school, which runs from kindergarten to Grade 9. The rest are bused to schools in Parkland County.
According to published reports, Chief Daniel Paul said the dismissals were intended to give the school a "clean slate" in September 2010.
But some teachers said the dismissals were in retaliation for grievances they filed earlier this year, alleging they were asked to lie about student numbers and attendance hours to get more school funding from the federal government.
Olga Cummings was one of several teachers who wrote a letter to the band council in January. In her letter, Cummings alleges she was asked to add the names of three students who haven't been in her class for years to the nominal roll or attendance figures.
"I point-blank said, 'It's fraud. I won't do it,'" Cummings told CBC News.
Teachers have also alleged that the school's director of education pressured them to inflate the attendance records of at least 50 students.
According to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, the school receives $6,800 a year in funding for each student. Students needed to be in class at least 40 per cent of the time between Sept. 23 and Oct. 15 for the school to qualify.
Principal Mike Hanlon, one of the staff members being let go, said a federal investigation is needed.
"I believe there's a fiduciary responsibility of the federal government who funds a First Nation [school] to make sure that there is accountability of how the funds are obtained and how the funds are spent."
On Wednesday, the school's administration abruptly ended the school year a week early. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada announced the same day that it would take a closer look at the teachers' complaints.
None of the allegations have been independently verified.
Calls by CBC News to Bird and the band council were not returned.