The B.C. government has announced a new “rural education enhancement fund” designed to allow local school districts to keep rural schools open that were expected to be closed.

Districts will have to apply for provincial funds with an estimate of savings they would realize from closing a school.

Education Miniser Mike Bernier said the expected cost of the program is $2.7 million this year, and will be ongoing in future years. It is available to districts outside the Lower Mainland, Greater Victoria and Kelowna areas.

High School students in Osoyoos would have to be bussed to a school in Oliver to complete thier education.
“The whole point of this is to look at unique circumstances like Osoyoos,” Bernier said today.

The amount of funding districts will be eligible for is to be equal to their expected savings from closing the school. Districts would be able to apply annually for Rural Education Enhancement Funding if the school meets a set of criteria: in a rural community or sub-community outside Greater Victoria, the Lower Mainland, and Kelowna areas with a population less than 15,000; closure would eliminate specific grades within the community; funding is used to keep the school open; closures due to facility condition or extreme enrolment decline are not included.