As students go back to school, Ford takes crumbling schools from bad to worse with $100M school repair cut

With temps still soaring, students sweltering in classrooms

TORONTO – Doug Ford has cut $100 million from school repairs – a cut the NDP says will hurt students that are now back in the classroom, especially as temperatures soar and schools in disrepair become dangerously overheated.

After years of Liberal neglect, Ontario is facing a $16-billion school repair backlog. There are schools with water fountains that aren’t safe to drink from, and roofs that are leaky. Students and staff are sweltering in classrooms this week, and by winter they’ll be forced to wear coats at their desks in chilly classrooms.

“Ontario’s students, parents and educators deserve a premier that prioritizes education, and the needs of students,” said NDP Education critic Marit Stiles. “But instead of fixing the mess the Liberal government left behind, Doug Ford is taking the major school-repair problem from bad to worse by making deep cuts to repairs.”

Stiles was joined by University-Rosedale MPP Jessica Bell, Parkdale-High Park MPP Bhutila Karpoche, TDSB Trustee Ausma Malik, Clinton Street PS School Council Co-Chair Tonia Krauser, Joy Lachica from Elementary Teachers of Toronto, Stephanie Donaldson, parent at Dovercourt PS, Davenport parent Jacqueline McKenzie, and Krista Wylie of parent-group Fix Our Schools.

“I would hope, that in the largest city in Canada, our kids could get a quality education, in a comfortable environment, from the public school system," said Krauser, Clinton school parent. “However, my experience is that there are days where it’s simply far too hot in the classrooms for our kids to focus on anything other than the sweat dripping down their faces."

“We formed Fix Our Schools because, as parents, we were shocked by the state of disrepair we saw,” said Krista Wylie. “We had hoped that a new government would bring a new focus on fixing this urgent issue, but cutting $100 million in funds earmarked for this very purpose take us in the opposite direction. It’s time to reverse course.”

Clinton Street Junior Public School has a Facility Condition Index of 69.59 per cent, with repair and replacement of air handling units and AC units classified as “High” need on the index.