Hope for Osoyoos school

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

UPDATE: 3:20 p.m.

According to board chair Marieze Tarr, the board decided to make an application for $490,000 throught the Rural Education Enhancement Fund. $108,000 is deferred maintenance cost and the rest is operational cost associated with running the high school.

"The board voted in favour of the motion as we did embark on the school closure process due to financial pressures," she said. "Now that the financial pressures could be alleviated with this new fund from the government we felt that we needed to listen to the community and apply for the funding to keep the school open for as long as financially possible."

"We remain concerned about declining enrollment trends and the reduced educational opportunities for students at both secondary schools, but we have heard the community loud and clear that they are happy with education at OSS. I believe that is why it was not a unanimous vote."

ORIGINAL

The School District 53 board voted 5-2 to apply for money that could keep Osoyoos Secondary School open.

The vote came on Wednesday after school districts across the province received information related to the Rural Education Enhancement Fund, which was announced by the Ministry of Education on June 15.

The Osoyoos high school made the list of schools that could potentially stay open using the funding.

The School District 67 board has also called a special meeting on the matter for Friday, June 24, at 8 a.m. in the board room at the school board office. 

The board voted earlier this year to close Trout Creek Elementary, West Bench Elementary and McNicoll Park Middle School due to low enrolment and budget concerns.

Trout Creek also made the list of schools included in last week's announcement.

– With files Oliver Daily News