The Quesnel School District is getting an enhanced Rural Education Enhancement Fund this year.
Gloria Jackson, the Chair of Quesnel’s Board of Education, explains…
“We did apply for extra funds for Parkland, we did need to put an extra teacher there, so we are thankful we did get the funds to be able to support that.”
This year’s totals are $305,590 for Kersley and $465,126 for Parkland, which is up almost 87 thousand dollars from the previous year.
The Rural Education Enhancement Fund was announced by the Liberal Government back in 2016 when these schools were facing closure.
The NDP Government has continued to honour that commitment.
Jackson hopes that continues to be the case…
“We haven’t been given a guarantee, there is a funding formula review happening right now, so the rural education fund is a grant and they are looking at the whole picture of the funding formula for education, so we are of course anticipating and expect that it will carry on under something, so that is our expectation for sure.”
Jackson says the money is vital to the District as well as to those communities.