In 2018 MPP Rakocevic signed the Fix Our Schools Pledge to create a Standard of Good Repair for Ontario schools
MPP Tom Rakocevic of Humber River-Black Creek Riding brought forward a petition in the House this week urging our new provincial government to reverse the decision to cut $100-million of funding from school repairs and to invest the $16-billion needed to tackle the repair backlog in Ontario’s schools. The following is from the Hansard:
School facilities
Mr. Tom Rakocevic: “This petition is entitled ‘Fund Our Schools.’
“Whereas too many children are going to school in buildings without proper heating or cooling, with leaky roofs or stairways overdue for repair;
“Whereas after years of Conservative and Liberal governments neglecting schools, the backlog of needed repairs has reached $16 billion;
“Whereas during the 2018 election, numerous members of the Conservative Party, including the current Minister of Education, pledged to provide adequate, stable funding for Ontario’s schools;
“Whereas less than three weeks into the legislative session, Doug Ford and the Conservative government have already cut $100 million in much-needed school repairs, leaving our children and educators to suffer in classrooms that are unsafe and unhealthy;
“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Education to immediately reverse the decision to cut $100 million in school repair funding, and invest the $16 billion needed to tackle the repair backlog in Ontario’s schools.”
I’m proud to support this very important petition and I’m giving it to page Eric.
To support MPP Rakocevic’s petition, Fix Our Schools wanted to share the following details of disrepair each school in the Humber River-Black Creek riding:
Total disrepair in each publicly funded school in Humber River-Black Creek, for a total of $212.5-million of school disrepair in this riding:
| Blessed Margherita of Citta Castello CS | $1,647,676 |
| Msgr Fraser College West Regina Pacis Catholic Secondary | $4,761,308 |
| St Augustine of Canterbury CS | $2,451,533 |
| St Basil the Great College | $1,170,960 |
| St Charles Garnier CS | $1,376,110 |
| St Francis de Sales | $940,161 |
| St Jane Frances CS | $501,016 |
| St Jude CS | $4,193,782 |
| St Roch CS | $2,272,230 |
| St Wilfrid CS | $5,018,408 |
| Venerable John Merlini | $3,761,185 |
| Blacksmith PS | $5,181,135 |
| Brookview MS | $7,965,467 |
| C W Jefferys CI | $24,200,593 |
| Chalkfarm PS | $2,424,601 |
| Daystrom PS | $8,979,291 |
| Derrydown PS | $3,391,332 |
| Driftwood PS | $4,643,113 |
| Elia MS | $10,107,708 |
| Emery CI | $19,357,639 |
| Firgrove PS | $6,217,607 |
| Gosford PS | $6,333,779 |
| Gracedale PS | $9,361,770 |
| Gulfstream PS | $5,148,246 |
| Humber Summit MS | $8,288,867 |
| Lamberton PS | $4,996,844 |
| Oakdale Park MS | $9,903,809 |
| Shoreham Public Sports and Wellness Academy | $7,799,069 |
| Stanley PS | $5,124,058 |
| Topcliff PS | $5,284,921 |
| Westview Centennial SS | $23,483,553 |
| Yorkwoods PS | $6,199,216 |
School conditions matter. They impact student learning, attendance, and health. Clearly, MPP Rakocevic recognizes this fact, as do students and families in his riding. We ask that Humber River-Black Creek constituents work with MPP Rakocevic to raise the important issue of school conditions and to urge our provincial government to 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.