This means that according to provincial calculations, the 59 schools with enrolments below 250 are not entitled to a full-time principal. Currently the Board is subsidizing small schools at the expense of other elementary schools. It costs more per pupil to operate a small school, and this means that funds can not be made available equally across the system. If funds were distributed on an equal per pupil basis across the system, small schools could be faced with itinerant principals, triple-graded classrooms, the loss of library services and special programs such as French as a Second Language, English as a Second Language and Special Education. Aside from the obvious financial benefits, larger schools allow for a more even and equal distribution of available funds across the school system.
Children benefit from interaction with a broader range of children in their own age group.
There is more flexibility to move children from one class to another when difficulties arise. Children are exposed to a more diverse range of teaching styles instead of being placed with the same teacher two or three times during their time in elementary school. Teachers in the same grade level can pool resources, share teaching strategies and work together on curriculum development. Special needs students can be integrated effectively throughout the classes within a single grade, thereby minimizing the impact on any one class. There are more opportunities for athletic and other extra-curricular activities.