One Day Strike Savings to go into Student Support Grants

The government will put an additional $3.4 million dollars into Student Support Grants.

This money comes as a result of the one day unpaid strike by the Nova Scotia Teachers Union Friday, Feb. 17.
Student Support Grants were created in 2013 to allow school communities to tailor their services and programming to improve student success and create special student experiences. They also  address fundraising pressures on families, parents and school communities.

To ensure Nova Scotia students benefit directly, any portion of the $3.4 million that is not spent in the 2016-17 school year will be carried over, in addition to the allotment for the 2017-18 school year.

Government allocates funds to each school board based on the number of schools and enrolment numbers. The formula is $5,000 per school, plus $1 for every student. This additional top up will be allocated on a per student basis.

The grant funds are used for initiatives a school would normally fundraise for, such as class trips, band, student competitions, uniforms for school sports teams or travel costs related to tournaments.

Since the 2014-15 school year about $2.1 million dollars has been allocated to school boards each year.