Roxburgh, Maniototo and Catlins Area Schools are part of the network, comprised of clusters or ''communities'' of schools.
Beginning in term one next year, they will share teachers, principals and expertise.
The schools will work with others in the South and together develop plans to raise pupils' achievement by sharing resources.
Once completed, the schools will be able to apply for funding for teacher and principal roles and inquiry time through the Government's $359 million Investing in Educational Success initiative.
Roxburgh Area School principal Gary Pasco said the school was rapt with the news and looking forward to next year.
The school applied for the initiative about a month ago, as a part of a cluster with the Maniototo, Lawrence, Catlins, Waiau, and Twizel Area Schools when invited to do so by the Ministry of Education.
Maniototo Area School principal Patsy Inder said the school was going into it looking for benefits for its pupils.
''It's quite a political programme so we are going in a little bit hesitant, but if if there is an opportunity to work together for efficiency and focus what we are all going to do we will go into it positively.''
She said the school did not know what the programme would involve.
''All we have done is enter an expression of interest to look at what ways we all work together as area schools to get good outcomes.''
Mr Pasco was informed of the group's inclusion last week.
The cluster was the only group of area schools in the initiative.
''We [the schools] could see we work together quite closely in a lot of events we organise together and talk quite closely between the administrationsof the schools.''
The schools applied in order to help increase pupil achievement, which would be assisted by funding provided by the initiative.
Mr Pasco said the schools had yet to decide upon their goals, and would have a better idea of when to expect results from the programme once they had done so.
Prime Minister John Key announced the initiative in January.
The $359 million is to be invested over four years and an additional $155 million the year after.
So far, the Ministry of Education had received 71 expressions of interest from school clusters wanting to participate.
Eleven communities were named last week by education minister Hekia Parata.
Ministry of Education head of sector enablement and support Katrina Casey said the 11 communities comprised 83 schools and would influence about 38,000 pupils in primary, intermediate, secondary, and area schools, in all decile groups.
Next year, once each community of schools had drawn up plans addressing issues specific to them, funding would be released, she said.
Information on the ministry website said the programme was designed based on research showing teacher quality had the biggest influence on student achievement.
The initiative would allow principals and teachers to demonstrate leadership and share knowledge and expertise within and The ministry was still accepting expressions of interest from school interested in participating in the programme.
