Rural schools face challenges that can put their existence into question, but facility managers can contribute to the ongoing vitality and future of the schools they work in.
Declining enrolment and aging facilities has placed pressure on rural school districts, and reduced enrolment often leads to budget cuts. In turn, less funding creates additional burdens to a school’s programs and facilities.
Since 2012, British Columbia’s population has increased by 200,000. In that same period, the number of schools in the province was reduced by 22. (Source: BC Ministry of Education and Statistics Canada)
One recent initiative in British Columbia, the Rural School Enhancement Fund, is offering rural schools additional funding but the condition of the facilities impacts the amount of emergency funding available to the schools.
British Columbia facility managers don’t just ensure their buildings are operational, they have a direct impact on access to additional funding.
“Under the program, a total of 11 rural schools will receive a portion of this year’s $3.4-million investment to ensure they can continue to serve their local students and community,” said a B.C. government release from April 5, 2017.
“This investment builds on government’s ongoing work to develop a provincial rural education strategy that looks at public school funding, the condition of schools, and the role education plays in rural communities.”
The fund is only available to rural schools facing extreme funding pressure – it is limited to communities with a population less than 15,000 where closures would eliminate specific grades. Schools that are facing an extreme decline in enrolment are not eligible, and nor are closures because of the condition of the facilities.
While the Rural School Enhancement Fund will benefit select rural schools in British Columbia, rural schools throughout the country will continue to face challenges as enrolment and budgets continue to decline.
The core problem is the population shift from rural to urban, with now around 81% of the Canadian population living in urban areas and 19% in rural. And the shift is expected to continue.
There are many arguments against closing rural schools. A 2000 review by researchers at the University of Guelph concluded “there is little empirical evidence for cost savings that can be realized through consolidation and board closures.” In addition, there are a variety of benefits that schools offer to communities that are difficult to quantify. The “positive reciprocal relationships” between schools and rural communities is complex, but closing schools is another factor in the declining quality of life in rural communities.
A 1995 report to the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the United States attempted to analyze the connections between schools and the vitality of rural communities.
“By building the social capital of the school and youth, the community not only helps to develop responsible citizens, but also creates opportunities for tomorrow’s leaders to emerge.”
Even though there are big arguments for keeping rural schools, it is easier said than done.
Facility manager play a big role in the future of rural schools. They don’t just maintain schools – they plan for the future of schools.
And that is the future of rural communities.