Province Offers Financial Help to Tri-County Regional School Board

The Tri-County Regional School Board will deliver a balanced budget this year with the help of a one-time $500,000 grant from the province.

The board serves Shelburne, Yarmouth and Digby counties.

"Last month, we were able to help all boards with additional funding to protect them from rising fuel costs," said Education Minister Karen Casey. "In the case of the tri-county board, even with that help, financial decisions made in the 2007-08 budget year have made it difficult for them to prepare a balanced budget."

At the invitation of the board, the province assigned a three-person team to help with the budget development process. Department of Education and board staff will continue to work together over the coming year to identify ongoing opportunities to increase management efficiency.

"We still feel strongly that we have special challenges here at the tri-county board", said board chair Faye Haley. "We appreciate the province's help in assuring that our students will continue to benefit from the best educational resources we can provide."

Funding provided to all school boards last month is helping with rising fuel prices and preventative maintenance. The tri-county board's share was $301,791.