School District 47 will receive additional help to keep the doors of Texada Elementary School open.
The school district is one of six located outside of Kelowna, Victoria and the Lower Mainland to receive funding from the province’s rural education enhancement fund, announced June 15.
“This grant secures the long-term future of Texada school,” said superintendent of schools Jay Yule. “We appreciate government’s recognition of the importance of rural and island schools.”
According to School District 47 secretary treasurer Steve Hopkins, the district will receive ongoing funding of approximately $200,000 for the school, starting in 2017.
While the recent announced funding saved nine rural schools from closure around the province, more than a dozen others were permanently shut down after report cards were handed out at the end of June. School districts were caught by surprise when the province announced the intake for the fund, said Hopkins.
While the school district has gone through a number of closures to elementary and middle schools while consolidating secondary students at Brooks Secondary School, Texada Elementary continued to be financial challenge.
The school currently has a total enrolment of 30 students.
Powell River Board of Education was preparing to have the community meetings necessary to close the school, said Hopkins, unless the district received the grant to stave off the closure.
