UPDATE: Osoyoos Secondary School students won’t be bussing to Oliver in September, their school will stay open for at least two more years.
The Okanagan-Similkameen school board has voted to accept provincial funding through the Rural Education Enhancement Fund to open Osoyoos Secondary for the coming school year.
The board accepted a Special Purpose Grant totalling $490,800, with $103,500 of it one-time funding for urgent minor maintenance issues that need to be addressed.
And just to the north of it, the Okanagan Skaha school district also voted to accept the provincial funding, to keep West Bench Elementary in Penticton open, as well as Trout Creek Elementary in Summerland.
The school boards were told by the province that they do not have to re-apply to the Program again for the 2017/2018 school year.
UPDATE: The Okanagan-Similkameen has also been offered provincial funding through the Rural Education Enhancement Fund to keep Osoyoos Secondary School open.
Both the Okanagan Similkameen and Okanagan Skaha school districts are voting on whether to accept the funding on Thursday afternoon.
PENTICTON–West Bench Elementary student Sarah Van Os was elated when she learned her school would not be closing.
“I was happy and I was hugging people.”
Penticton MLA Dan Ashton announced on Thursday that Trout Creek Elementary in Summerland and West Bench Elementary in Penticton will receive funding from the new Rural Education Enhancement Fund.
The Okanagan Skaha schools had been slated for closure at the end of June, along with McNicoll Park Middle School in Penticton.
“We never lost faith. We kept on working, we kept our hopes and spirits up. It’s been realized today,” said Brian McCoy, a parent.
READ MORE: Decision day for Okanagan Skaha school closures
The announcement of the planned school closures led to public outcry and community rallies.
The District of Summerland even took to crowdfunding in an effort to raise money to seek a court injunction of the closure of Trout Creek Elementary.
READ MORE: Summerland parents seeking injunction on school closure
In mid-June, the provincial government responded to the public sentiment by announcing special funding to help rural schools in B.C. stay open.
WATCH HERE: New hope for Okanagan schools slated for closure? Province announces new funding
The province has granted $369,815 to Trout Creek Elementary and $369,404 to West Bench Elementary.
The only step now is for the school board to officially accept the money, which is expected to happen at a special meeting Thursday afternoon.
The Okanagan-Similkameen school district had also voted to close the only high school in Osoyoos.
READ MORE: School district has questions about Osoyoos Secondary funding
That school board has also applied for the provincial Rural Education Enhancement Fund in hopes of keeping Osoyoos Secondary School open.
There is no word on whether that grant application has been accepted.
— with files from Angela Jung
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