When questioned in the legislature about why her government would cut $100-million from annual school repairs funding, Education Minister Thompson responded that she was “so pleased that I am committed to fixing schools. We are going to be working with our ministry officials as well as our school boards to get it right and clean up the Liberal mess once and for all.” 

Minister Thompson – Fix Our Schools and citizens from across the province will be holding you to this commitment!

From the Hansard: School facilities

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Premier.

Schools across Ontario are crumbling, but instead of fixing our schools, the Premier chose to cut $100 million from school repairs.

Does the Deputy Premier think cutting $100 million from school repairs is good for students and for the next generation?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Minister of Education.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m pleased to share with the House today that we understand that over the last 15 years, the Liberal government allowed schools to crumble, and it is absolutely concerning. That’s why I’m pleased with the work that we’re moving forward with in terms of working with both ministry officials as well as school boards across this province, and we are going to get it right and address priorities.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Again to the Deputy Premier: The Premier told Ontarians that he was cancelling school repairs because of his short-sighted decision to cancel cap-and-trade. But in yesterday’s briefing on Bill 4, it turns out that that’s not true. Nothing is stopping the government from fixing schools. The cap-and-trade money was collected. It is available. These projects can move forward.

So why is the Premier not fixing our schools?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I think it’s very important that we take the time today and share with the members opposite that the GGRF does not repair boilers. It does not repair the crumbling schools that happened under the Liberals’ watch. That’s why I am so pleased that I am committed to fixing schools. We are going to be working with our ministry officials as well as our school boards to get it right and clean up the Liberal mess once and for all.

Dear MPP Des Rosiers,

Did you know there is $194-million of disrepair in the publicly funded schools in your riding of Ottawa-Vanier?

We wanted to share the following details of disrepair each school in your riding in the hope that this detailed information would underscore the importance of developing standards of good repair for Ontario schools and also the importance of providing the adequate, stable provincial funding to school boards required for them to meet those new standards and eliminate the $15.9-billion repair backlog that plagues Ontario’s schools.

Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Ottawa-Vanier:

School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.

We ask that you and your government please prioritize schools as critical infrastructure and take the steps necessary to ensure that the $15.9-billion of disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools is eliminated and that schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working. We look forward to hearing back from you with details on your plan to Fix Ontario’s Schools.

PLEASE NOTE: Fix Our Schools is relying on the most recent disrepair data provided by the Ministry of Education in Fall 2017 and has mapped postal codes provided by the Ministry for each school to riding postal code information from a third party. Therefore, it is possible that there may be small errors in the data provided here and we would be grateful if community members would contact us with any errors. 

Based on community feedback, the disrepair in Ottawa-Vanier Riding was updated on July 31, 2018 to remove Rideau HS, which has been closed. 

School disrepair was a hot topic at Queen’s Park the week of July 16.

From the Hansard on Tuesday, July 17:

Ms. Marit Stiles: Through you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Education.

For years, the parent-led group Fix Our Schools has been calling on the government to make urgent repairs to Ontario’s schools. Days before the election, they circulated a pledge asking candidates to make a public commitment to finally eliminate the astonishing $16-billion repair backlog. I signed that pledge, and indeed many Conservative MPPs, including our own Minister of Education, signed their names to that pledge.

And yet, as soon as this government was sworn in, it turned around and quietly gutted $100 million in funding for very urgent school repairs. Why is this government already breaking its promise to the students and families of Ontario?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: To the Minister of the Environment.

Hon. Rod Phillips: Mr. Speaker, through you: The member is referring to the funding that was being provided by the cap-and-trade carbon tax program. This government was exceptionally clear—this party was exceptionally clear—that it would eliminate that regressive tax, and as a result, we are working with our transfer partners to go through the orderly wind-down of the funding that came from that program. That’s what you can expect from this government: We’ll make a promise and we’ll keep a promise.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Through you, Mr. Speaker: My question again to the Minister of Education, who signed this pledge.

The state of our schools in Ontario is appalling. They are crumbling. Across this province, they are literally falling apart—

Interjection.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Oh, I know. I know, after 15 years of Liberal mismanagement. Don’t get me wrong; I know that.

In my own riding, I have schools like Alexander Muir/Gladstone, where the roof was so bad last year, they had to use the kindergarten water tables to catch the leaks. They have an urgent repair list of 44 major repairs needed, in that one school alone.

I want to know—and I want to hear this from the Minister of Education, please. You made a pledge. I don’t care where you get it. You cut $100 million in repairs that we urgently need in our communities. Parents expect it. You talk about the importance of parents and how you’re listening to them. Listen to them now. Fix Our Schools is a parent-led organization, and you signed the pledge.

How many more students are going to have to sit through the next year in leaky classrooms wearing hats and mitts before you live up to your pledge?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Please take your seats.

Minister of the Environment?

Hon. Rod Phillips: To the Minister of Education.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m very pleased to rise on the occasion of our second day back in the 42nd Parliament to address this very serious issue that evolved under 15 years of mismanagement by the former Liberal government.

I might remind the speaker that during my seven years here, it was the party opposite, the opposition party, that propped this government up and allowed the continued disintegration of the schools.

With that said, I’m pleased to share with you that we’re working with our ministry officials, because fixing our schools is very important. We’re going to fix and address the issues that evolved under the former Liberal government, because our students deserve that.

From the Hansard on Wednesday, July 18:

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Minister of Education.

On Monday, Fix Our Schools wrote a letter to the minister, putting the total estimate for school repairs in her riding at a staggering $113.8 million. They reminded her of the personal commitment she made to fix our schools during the campaign. They stated this clearly: “School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.”

Yesterday, this government admitted that the colossal $100 million they cut from school repair funding was just collateral damage in their crusade against cap-and-trade. They admitted that the well-being of students was an afterthought.

Will the minister’s message to the students in her riding and across Ontario continue to be that they are just not a priority?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: You know, I find it rather ironic, because the reality is this: Under 15 years of Liberal rule which the NDP party—the opposition party—propped up the entire way, we’ve seen schools crumble across this province. I am very pleased to share with you, Speaker—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll ask the official opposition to please come to order. I have to be able to hear the response.

Minister of Education.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Thank you, Speaker. I’m very pleased to share with you that in working with ministry officials, we’re addressing the renovation needs of our schools. You’re going to see this government always putting students first.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Back to the Minister of Education: Runnymede Collegiate Institute, a great high school in my riding of Parkdale–High Park, currently needs 15 urgent repairs among 64 others. These repairs include hot water boilers, roof coverings and a 90-year-old structural frame—urgent, meaning now. The students and families of Runnymede Collegiate cannot afford to hold out while this government makes cuts first and promises later.

How much longer will the students and families in Parkdale–High Park be left waiting?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: We need to be perfectly clear here: The $100 million in the Green Ontario Fund—the gas reduction—

Interjection: The greenhouse gas fund.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: The greenhouse gas reduction slush fund that the Liberals created was never, ever going to be addressing those problems that the member opposite just described.

With that said, I look forward to inviting the member opposite to come forward and meet with me and share her concerns about her local school so that I can raise them with ministry officials and I can get a status update on those particular repairs.

From the Hansard on Thursday, July 19:

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is for the Minister of Education.

I’d like to tell everyone about a very special student from my riding, Principal’s Award winner Jed Sears. Jed attends King Edward public school, where the repair backlog is $8.9 million. In his own words: “King Edward has washrooms that are closed because they can’t afford to fix the bathrooms. There are stalls that have no toilet paper or … soap for days. King Edward … has problems with mice.”

Jed also says the thermometer in his classroom reaches occasionally over 30 degrees. He says his classmates have had to miss school days, and he has found that his learning and his test performance have been dramatically impacted by the extreme heat.

When will students like Jed get answers from his government about their plan to fix Ontario’s schools?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: To Jed and all of his classmates, I say that I appreciate their frustrations because over the last 15 years, the previous Liberal government has allowed schools across this province to crumble and actually deteriorate in front of students’ eyes, and it’s unacceptable.

I have to also share with you, and clarify, that the GGRF slush fund, if you will, would not do anything towards the renovations and the fixes that Jed was describing in his message to the member opposite.

To Jed and all the students across Ontario: We’re working very hard with our ministry officials, as well as our school boards, to make sure that we can bring forward renovations in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Jessica Bell: To the Minister of Education again: In a hurried response to public outrage over the $100-million cut to school funding, the Minister of Education says the government will fix and address the issues facing our crumbling schools. The people of Ontario have made it clear: The issue is repair funding. If this government expects teachers and parents to trust them, then earn it.

When will the minister confirm that this government will provide the $100 million for repair funding to replace the amount they gutted from schools last week?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: The people of Ontario were very clear that they wanted our government, the PC government of Ontario under the leadership of Premier Doug Ford, to fix the issue at hand, and that was the previous government having their hand in their pocket every time they turned around—much like the GGRF slush fund.

Again, the reality check is here, Speaker, that the slush fund would not have done anything for the renovation that the member opposite described. I’m very, very happy to share with her and everyone across this province that I’m working with ministry officials, as well as our local school boards, to identify the priorities, and we will move forward in addressing the renovations in a timely manner.

Dear Minister Fullerton,

Did you know there is $77.5-million of disrepair in the publicly funded schools in your riding of Kanata-Carleton? We know that you did not sign the Fix Our Schools Pledge during the election, but we also recognize that your government has committed to governing for the People. We trust that safe, healthy, well-maintained school buildings will be a part of this commitment?

We wanted to share the following details of disrepair each school in your riding in the hope that this detailed information would underscore the importance of developing standards of good repair for Ontario schools and also the importance of providing the adequate, stable provincial funding to school boards required for them to meet those new standards and eliminate the $15.9-billion repair backlog that plagues Ontario’s schools.

Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Kanata-Carleton:

School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.

We ask that you and your government please prioritize schools as critical infrastructure and take the steps necessary to ensure that the $15.9-billion of disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools is eliminated and that schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working. We look forward to hearing back from you with details on your plan to Fix Ontario’s Schools.

PLEASE NOTE: Fix Our Schools is relying on the most recent disrepair data provided by the Ministry of Education in Fall 2017 and has mapped postal codes provided by the Ministry for each school to riding postal code information from a third party. Therefore, it is possible that there may be small errors in the data provided here and we would be grateful if community members would contact us with any errors. 

Dear MPP Piccini,

Did you know there is $76.3-million of disrepair in the publicly funded schools in your riding of Northumberland-Peterborough South? We know that you did not sign the Fix Our Schools Pledge during the election, but we also recognize that your government has committed to governing for the People. We trust that safe, healthy, well-maintained school buildings wil be a part of this commitment?

We wanted to share the following details of disrepair each school in your riding in the hope that this detailed information would underscore the importance of developing standards of good repair for Ontario schools and also the importance of providing the adequate, stable provincial funding to school boards required for them to meet those new standards and eliminate the $15.9-billion repair backlog that plagues Ontario’s schools.

Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Northumberland-Peterborough South:

School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.

We ask that you and your government please prioritize schools as critical infrastructure and take the steps necessary to ensure that the $15.9-billion of disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools is eliminated and that schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working. We look forward to hearing back from you with details on your plan to Fix Ontario’s Schools.

PLEASE NOTE: Fix Our Schools is relying on the most recent disrepair data provided by the Ministry of Education in Fall 2017 and has mapped postal codes provided by the Ministry for each school to riding postal code information from a third party. Therefore, it is possible that there may be small errors in the data provided here and we would be grateful if community members would contact us with any errors. 

Dear Education Minister Thompson,

Did you know there is $113.8-million of disrepair in the publicly funded schools in your riding of Huron-Bruce? We commend you for signing the Fix Our Schools Pledge during the election, and making the personal commitment to ensure all Ontario’s schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working.

We wanted to share the following details of disrepair each school in your riding in the hope that this detailed information would underscore the importance of developing standards of good repair for Ontario schools and also the importance of providing the adequate, stable provincial funding to school boards required for them to meet those new standards and eliminate the $15.9-billion repair backlog that plagues Ontario’s schools.

Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Huron-Bruce Riding:

School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health.

We ask that you and your government please prioritize schools as critical infrastructure and take the steps necessary to ensure that the $15.9-billion of disrepair in all of Ontario’s publicly funded schools is eliminated and that schools are safe, healthy, well-maintained buildings that provide environments conducive to learning and working. We look forward to hearing back from you with details on your plan to Fix Ontario’s Schools, especially given that you signed the Fix Our Schools Pledge during the election.

PLEASE NOTE: Fix Our Schools is relying on the most recent disrepair data provided by the Ministry of Education in Fall 2017 and has mapped postal codes provided by the Ministry for each school to riding postal code information from a third party. Therefore, it is possible that there may be small errors in the data provided here and we would be grateful if community members would contact us with any errors. 

Please take a minute today to send an email to your newly elected MPP expressing your outrage at the $100-million cut to provincial funding for school repairs.

With no fanfare or public announcement, the Ministry of Education sent out memos to school boards across the province letting them know that, as a result of the cancellation of the provincial Cap and Trade program, the 2018 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funding (GGRF) had been cancelled effective July 3, 2018. The GGRF funding represented $100-million out of the $1.4-billion total provincial funding promised to school boards for school repairs this year.

Industry standards suggest that $1.4-billion/year for school repairs is the absolute minimum amount required for school boards to be able to conduct the routine repairs and maintenance on Ontario’s schools. A reduction of $100-million brings this down to $1.3-billion/year – a 7% cut to provincial funding for school repairs in the blink of an eye. Appalling, really. Especially when we know that $1.4-billion/year was not even sufficient to start to decrease the $15.9-billion repair backlog that has been allowed to accumulate over the past 20 years in Ontario’s schools – when provincial funding for school repairs in many years was only a mere fraction of what it ought to have been. In fact, when Fix Our Schools started 4 years ago, provincial funding for school repairs was only $150-million/year – ONE-TENTH of what industry standards suggest was needed. No wonder so much disrepair has accrued in Ontario’s schools!

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has launched this excellent letter-writing campaign as part of its “Building Better Schools Initiative” and we encourage you to participate.

With no fanfare or public announcement the newly minted Ministry of Education sent out memos to school boards across the province letting them know that, as a result of the cancellation of the Provincial Cap and Trade program, the 2018 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Funding (GGRF) has been cancelled effective July 3, 2018. This funding represents $100-million out of the $1.4-billion total amount provided to school boards. It is distributed via School Renewal Allocation and School Condition Improvement funding. 

Industry standards suggest that $1.4-billion/year for school repairs is the absolute minimum required for routine maintenance and repairs in Ontario’s schools and the Auditor-General agrees. A reduction of $100-million per year brings this down to $1.3-billion per year. 

The Ministry did outline that any GGRF work that was under contract prior to this date will be honoured, but that future work will have to be funded out of existing funding sources (such as renewal (SRA) or Improvement (SCI) funding). Each school board will be at a different stage of spending their portion of the $100-million so the exact impact for this budget year has yet to be determined.

Industry standards suggest that $1.4-billion/year for school repairs is the absolute minimum required for routine maintenance and repairs in Ontario’s schools and the Auditor-General agrees. A reduction of $100-million per year brings this down to $1.3-billion per year. 

Unless Doug Ford’s government allocates an additional $100-million in SRA or SCI funding in the next budget cycle, this new government will have effectively cut annual provincial funding for school repairs by over 7% in the blink of an eye. 

Schools are critical infrastructure in this province and Ontario’s 2-million students deserve safe, healthy, well-maintained schools in which to learn each day. We must hold our new provincial government accountable to providing exactly that.