The Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has agreed to investigate after several families fighting for a secular education in Morinville filed a complaint.
Parent Donna Hunter said she was told on Friday that the commission would go ahead and investigate.
"It means that we will have a forum where everything that has happened to us and everything we've been through and all the research we've done about why it's not acceptable will finally be investigated and we'll finally get a real response," she told CTV News.
Hunter said the dispute began when she went to register her daughter in kindergarten.
"When I walked in I realized that the public schools in town were in fact fully permeated, fully catholic schools and I was really surprised."
She said she began asking questions, which lead to her and three other moms in the area filing a complaint alleging the province and the Greater St. Albert Catholic Regional Division violated their human rights by denying access to a secular, public education.
Hunter explained that she had first taken the issue up with the superintendent, the school board and finally the Minister of Education.
"We're still waiting for a response to that formal appeal," she said adding she was looking forward to sitting down with all the parties and talking through the issue.
"In 21 days the respondent must respond in writing to my submission," she said explaining the next step was for the AHRC to sit all parties down for mediation.
