Cash-strapped school boards around B.C. are being told they can not sell their mothballed schools in order to make money to cover budget shortfalls.

Dozens of schools across the province are likely to be shut down next year because of declining enrolment in rural areas and tight funding, but B.C. Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid is turning down requests from the affected districts to sell them off.

Several years ago, the Prince George school district sold off a number of mothballed schools after a big round of budget cuts forced the closure of several schools.

But now with nearly a dozen more schools slated to close in the next school year, Prince George school superintendent Brian Pepper said that's no longer an option.

The North Okanagan school district had hoped to raise $3 million by selling several properties, and the Saanich school district on Vancouver Island was considering a similar selloff.

Pepper said in addition to the cash from the sales, the districts would save money on utilities and janitorial services.

But a ministry spokesman said the government wants to keep schools and school lands in public hands to protect public assets.

In 2008, the Ministry of Education issued a directive saying school boards must not dispose of land by sale.

Districts can lease out their empty schools short term and they can ask the minister for permission to sell them, but already requests by districts in Saanich, Vernon and elsewhere have been turn down.