Municipal School Districts 1906 - 1946

Tillicum School, Municipality of Saanich, c. 1912

In 1906 a new category of school district was established in large towns such as Summerland and in municipalities such as Saanich, Burnaby and Richmond. In these areas several formerly-separate school districts were combined to form Rural Municipality School Districts. Five years later, in 1911, these large, semi-rural, suburban administrative units were restyled District Municipality School Districts.

Many of the schools which operated within municipal school districts were small, one-room establishments. For example - Steelhead (1924), a one-room country school, sheltered under the Rural Municipality School District of Mission. A similar school, Trepannier (1912), was part of Peachland Rural Municipality School District.

Although schools like Steelhead and Trepannier had many of the characteristics of a "rural" school, they were not officially classified as such and so have not been included in the lists of Rural & Assisted Schools.

Researchers wishing to identify the small, post-1906 schools administered within municipal school districts should refer to the Annual Reports of the Public Schools . Additional information, including school attendance registers, may be available from School District offices.