More than $2 million from the new Rural Education Enhancement Fund will flow to four school districts to help keep seven rural schools open.

Students at schools in rural areas throughout the province will see their schools remain open, while the communities will see the benefits of classes continuing.

Premier Christy Clark announced the new Rural Education Enhancement Fund on June 15, 2016, to help school districts with the unique challenges of keeping schools open in rural communities.

To be eligible for funding, the amount of funding that districts could receive needed to be equal to their expected savings from closing the school. Districts that were successful met the following criteria:

• A rural community or sub-community outside Greater Victoria, the Lower Mainland, and Kelowna areas with a population less than 15,000;
• The potential school closure would eliminate specific grades within the community;
• Funding is used to keep the school open; and
• Closures due to facility condition or extreme enrolment decline are not included.

As well, three districts that applied for support for schools slated to close in 2017-18 received confirmation that four of their schools will be eligible for funding that year. The Ministry of Education will make all districts aware of the application process for the 2017-18 year before the end of February 2017.