Dunster, B.C. – The Dunster School of Fine Arts will be sold to the Dunster Fine Arts School Society.

The sale will allow the Society to own the property, but School District 57 will hold the mortgage on the property. The price of the sale is $39,500.00 minus a down payment. That price is based on the value of the land on which the school sits as the building is viewed as an older facility and the true value is the land.

Trustee Lois Boone commended District Treasurer Brian Mix for “thinking outside of the box” to make this happen.

The Dunster School was one of the rural schools ordered closed by the School District last spring to offset budget shortfalls,  residents of the community dug in their heels to keep it.

While some of the students have already started classes in either Valemount or McBride, a handful of students had started their school year in tents that were set up on property next door to the school.

Chair Lynn Hall  was pleased to see that the matter has been settled “We have worked for some time to try and put something together, it has not always been a smooth road, but that’s part of the negotiating process, that’s part of the process we had to follow. I think that what we’re seeing here this evening is some really ground breaking initiatives by the Board and I think by the community.” 

Hall turned to members of the Dunster Fine Arts School Society and offered them praise “You certainly know what you want, and I think you’re going to get what you want down the road eventually but I think what is really important here is what we’re seeing now is a community association that’s taking on a building and   providing your own educational programs in some form and I’m sure there will be some connection down the road with School District 57. I want to applaud you and your community and I want to thank you, and yes it took a while but we are here tonight before the snow falls, which is important.”