Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ontario needs to commit $31.4 billion over 10 years to clear a backlog of school repair needs, build enough new spaces to address growth and maintain all schools in a state of good repair, according to a report Tuesday from the province’s fiscal watchdog.
However, the government’s current plan falls far short with just $18.7 billion allocated over 10 years for school buildings, resulting in a shortfall of $12.7 billion.
The Toronto District School Board has the highest share of school buildings in disrepair, with more than 84 per cent graded below a state of good repair, followed by the Thames Valley District School Board with more than 45 per cent of school buildings graded below a state of good repair.
In Toronto, it is estimated that $6.8 billion is needed over ten years to address the repair backlog and keep school buildings in a state of good repair.
“We have done our part to invest and cut red tape for school boards to build and we need them to do their part and use the public tax dollars to get shovels in the ground faster,” Education Minister Jill Dunlop said in a statement. “We are meeting the needs of growing communities with 240 new schools under construction that will create 81,000 pupil spaces in the coming years.”
About 37 per cent of schools in the province are rated below a state of good repair, and 32 schools should be replaced and the report says most schools are under full capacity, with hundreds of schools operating with fewer than 60 per cent of the maximum number of students.
Boards have been urging the government to lift a school closure moratorium put in place in 2017, saying that seven years later it is putting a strain on their budgets and resources.
“The Ford government’s failure to address the school repair backlog is atrocious,” Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) President Karen Littlewood said in a statement. “Students are trying to learn in environments where ceilings are leaking, and facilities are falling apart.
“Educational staff, already overburdened and burnt out, now face the added stress of unsafe and precarious working conditions. This is no way to foster education, opportunity, or community.”
On top of the egregious school repair backlog, many school boards are dealing with overcrowding. Nearly 70 per cent of schools in Durham District School Board are overcapacity. In the Thames Valley District School Board, over 40 per cent of schools are overcapacity. But every school board has been impacted by underfunding in different ways. Across Ontario, it is estimated that more than 112,000 students are not in appropriate learning spaces, such as grossly overcrowded classrooms, makeshift temporary learning spaces, and portables that are not meant to be used permanently.
“This report confirms what we’ve been saying all along: the Ford government is failing our schools, our kids, and our future,” Littlewood said. “They’ve tried to hide these immense failures, deliberately withholding this data from families.
“Finally, today, we have the truth, but we shouldn’t have had to wait this long. We should have a Ministry of Education that prioritizes transparency instead of hiding the truth from students and staff.”
The FAO estimates the percentage of school buildings that are not in a state of good repair will almost double in the next 10 years, going from 38 per cent this year to 75 per cent by the 2033-2034 school year.
“Their highly misleading claims of “historic” investments in education are clearly fictional. But it’s time to face the facts and make legitimate investments in Ontario’s public education system. Our students deserve no less,” Littlewood concluded.
