NELSON – Students in the Kootenay Lake School District will benefit from safer, more efficient and comfortable schools thanks to $3 million in provincial funding for school upgrade projects, announced Nelson-Creston MLA Michelle Mungall.

“We’re prioritizing our kids’ education again,” said Mungall. “On top of today’s announcement for more school maintenance funding, we’re providing kids with smaller classes by hiring more teachers.”

Kootenay Lake School District (SD 8) is receiving $3.0 million in total funding, including:

• $550,0000 from the School Enhancement Program for Phase 2 of elevator construction at the Central Education Centre in Nelson.
• $1,039,062 from the School Bus Replacement Program for eight replacement buses.
• $1,374,350 from the Annual Facilities Grant (AFG), which flows to the district annually for routine school maintenance costs.

These funding programs are part of a $198-million provincial investment under the Annual Facilities Grant, School Enhancement Program, Carbon Neutral Capital Program and Bus Replacement Program, to ensure students have well-maintained learning environments and bus services that are safe, comfortable and efficient.

The provincial government has boosted school maintenance funding by more than $20 million over last year, and has increased the AFG for the first time since 2004/05. The increase in funding will help ensure that students, teachers and school district staff can focus their energy where it matters most – in the classroom.

Link to Provincial release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2018EDUC0015-000500