Cumbria School District 4 has gone even further than the rest of the province in refusing to let their kids attend a public school.
Cumbrians like their public school to be “a place where we can learn, grow, and have fun.”
The district announced Tuesday that it will be closing all the schools in its district.
The announcement comes as the government continues to roll out its budget for the next fiscal year, and there are already concerns about how the province’s education system will look with its budget shortfall.
Cumbria’s public school system was founded in 1909, and since then, it has seen many changes.
The new district, which is about a quarter of the size of the previous one, is taking its cues from a variety of different communities across the country.
The district says it will open up some of the schools to families who are already paying for private school but still want to send the kids to the public school, as well as families who can’t afford private school and have a financial hardship.
“We’re doing it for the good of the district,” said Cumbrian Public Schools CEO Andrew McNeil, according to the New York Times.
“We’re not doing it to be controversial.
We’re doing this for the kids.”
McNeil added that the district is also hoping to create new opportunities for students by offering summer camp, as part of the local summer program.
“As the summer program grows, we’re going to see an increase in participation and opportunities for the students,” he said.
In fact, the district has already offered a free summer camp for students between the ages of four and 17.
But the district’s decision to close all its public schools comes amid other changes to public education in Canada.
Earlier this month, Canada announced its first budget of all-time deficits.
The federal government has also been trying to make changes to the Canadian education system, including cutting funding for school programs, eliminating summer camps, and introducing new tuition programs.
“The changes that we are seeing in the budget that are taking place in the United States are the direct result of the austerity measures that the Conservatives have put in place,” Cumbries Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Scott O’Brien told The Canadian Press.
“The federal government will be in the process of introducing a raft of tax cuts and other measures that will take away money from public schools and create an opportunity for private schools.”
The budget will also reduce funding for Head Start, which provides free childcare to children ages two to five.
That’s a big reason why the district says that it is going to close its school next year.