Premier Christy Clark says school closures are not a result of a lack of funding.

“They are the result of fewer students, fewer young people and so the answer to making sure that schools stay open, and that more schools are ultimately able to open, is to grow the economy,” said Clark.

Clark says the Okanagan Regional Correctional Centre will attract workers to the region.

“Many with I think families who are going to help re-populate some of the empty school spaces in what has been an aging community…….  but at a provincial level what (MLA) Linda Larson and I can do is we can grow the economy,  we can create jobs and that means when more people come they will bring their children to communities across the province and that will mean schools are able to stay open….

That is the thing the provincial government can do.”