News release

Province Helping to Support More Isolated Rural Schools

Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

NOTE: A list of schools follows this release.


The province is helping to support more rural, isolated schools to ensure students continue to receive a quality education in their communities.

As part of Kids and Learning First, the province is allocating $22 million for a new Small Isolated Schools Supplement to provide funding for programming and instructional space or additional teaching resources at 98 schools, mostly in rural Nova Scotia.

"The school boards asked for a change to the funding formula and we have worked together to support even more small, isolated rural schools," said Education Minister Ramona Jennex. "As we deal with declining enrolments, it's important that our children have access to a high-quality education no matter where they live."

The new Small Isolated Schools Supplement replaces the Small Schools Grant. Under the new model, funding will be provided for geographically isolated schools that are 30 minutes away from the nearest school with the same elementary and junior high grades, and small high schools will receive teaching resources based on total enrolments.

Under the previous model, the grant was only available to 44 schools with 100 or fewer students. The 98 schools includes those previously eligible for support.

"The province is committed to keeping isolated rural community schools open," said Ms. Jennex. "While boards continue to make school planning decisions, our education plan also calls for communities to be involved earlier in discussions about the future of their schools."

The supplement is provided to school boards, not individual schools.


Here is a list of schools qualifying for Small Isolated Schools Supplement:

Annapolis Valley Regional School Board (5)

  • Annapolis West Education Centre
  • Bridgetown Regional High School
  • Central Kings Rural High School
  • Middleton Regional High School
  • Newport Station

Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board (9)

  • Baddeck Academy
  • Breton Education Centre
  • Cabot High School
  • Cape Smokey Elementary
  • North Highlands Elementary
  • Rankin School of the Narrows
  • Boulardrie
  • Marion Bridge
  • Middle River

Chignecto Central Regional School Board (21)

  • Advocate District School
  • Hants North Rural High School
  • North Colchester High School
  • Oxford Regional Education Centre
  • Parrsboro Regional High School
  • Pictou Academy-Dr. T. McCulloch Jr. High
  • Pugwash District High School
  • River Hebert District High School
  • South Colchester Academy
  • Springhill Junior-Senior High School
  • Uniacke District School
  • West Colchester Consolidated
  • Saltsprings
  • Cobequid District Elementary
  • Great Village Elementary
  • Maitland District
  • Northport Consolidated
  • Upper Stewiacke
  • Wentworth
  • Wallace Consolidated
  • River John

Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (14)

  • Centre scolaire de la Rive-Sud
  • Centre scolaire Étoile de l'Acadie
  • École acadienne de Pomquet
  • École acadienne de Truro
  • École Beau-Port
  • École des Beaux-Marais
  • École du Carrefour
  • École NDA
  • École Rose-des-Vents
  • École secondaire de Clare
  • École secondaire de Par-en-Bas
  • École secondaire du Sommet
  • Wedgeport
  • Ecole St. Albert

Halifax Regional School Board (11)

  • Duncan MacMillan High School
  • Musquodoboit Rural High School
  • Alderney Elementary
  • East St. Margarets
  • Eastern Consolidated
  • Joseph Howe
  • Lakefront
  • Nelson Whynder
  • Sackville Centennial
  • Shatford Memorial
  • Upper Musquodoboit

South Shore Regional School Board (10)

  • Big Tancook Elementary School
  • Bridgewater Junior-Senior High School
  • Forest Heights Community School
  • Liverpool Regional High School
  • New Germany Rural High School
  • New Ross Consolidated
  • North Queens Community School
  • Pentz
  • Mill Village
  • Petit Riviere

Strait Regional School Board (16)

  • Bayview Education Centre
  • Canso Academy
  • Cape Breton Highlands
  • Chedabucto Education Centre/Guysborough Academy
  • Dalbrae Academy
  • East Antigonish Education Centre
  • Fanning Education Centre
  • Inverness Education Centre
  • Pleasant Bay
  • Richmond Academy
  • St. Mary's Academy
  • Strait Area Education Recreation Centre
  • Whycocomagh Education Centre
  • Rev. H.J. MacDonald
  • Inverness
  • H.M. MacDonald

Tri-County Regional School Board (12)

  • Barrington Municipal High School
  • Digby Neck Consolidated
  • Digby Regional High School
  • Drumlin Heights Consolidated School
  • Islands Consolidated School
  • Lockeport Regional High School
  • Shelburne Regional High School
  • St. Mary's Bay Academy
  • Westport
  • Barton
  • Carleton
  • Cape Sable Island