Guelph schools are in comparatively better condition than many others across the province, according to a report released by Ontario’s financial watchdog.
The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) released a report last week reviewing schools across Ontario, including the condition of buildings, enrolment capacity and the cost associated with repair and capacity pressures over the next 10 years.
Around 37 per cent of Ontario schools are “below a state of good repair” (or in need of repairs or replacement), a number the report says could potentially double over the next decade without more funding.
In total, there are 1,813 school buildings across the province that are below a state of good repair. The most are within larger districts like the Toronto District School Board, with 486 buildings in need of repair and 578 schools in total.
But the Upper Grand District School Board has only five buildings below a state of good repair with a total of 78 schools. Of the 22 schools within the Wellington Catholic District School Board, no buildings are below a state of good repair.
Because of this, WCDSB has the highest total condition index in the province, alongside Northwest Catholic District School Board, and Upper Grand District School Board has the highest condition index within the English public system.
Repairs and new schools cost money, and many school boards in the province can expect astronomical 10-year costs to deal with infrastructure back logs and address buildings below good standing.
Locally, UGDSB is looking at a 10-year cost of $90 million. WCDSB has no infrastructure backlog or buildings below a state of good repair, and is looking at a much lower $9 million for 10-year costs.
In addition to building conditions, the FAO report considered capacity stresses schools will be facing over the next decade.
UGDSB has a total enrolment of 35,443 students at a 94 per cent utilization rate. There are 2,283 students over capacity within UGDSB schools.
In 10 years, its projected enrolment numbers will grow to 37,478, and 4,183 new student spaces will be required.
At WCDSB, current enrolment sits at 8,465 with 464 students over capacity and an 87.2 per cent utilization rate.
In 10 years, enrolment is projected to grow to 9,211, with 281 new student spaces required.
The average utilization rate in Ontario's 4,850 schools was 87.6 per cent.
In total, enrolment will increase in Ontario by 89,996 students over the next 10 years, and the FAO estimates school boards will need to address capacity pressures of up to 240,878 students by 2033.
After utilizing portables, new school boundaries and newly built schools, the FAO estimates 172,187 student spaces will need to be built by then to accommodate student growth.
That means the province would need to build the equivalent of 227 new schools, for which the total cost would come in at around $9.8 billion over the 10 years.
In addition, the cost for UGDSB to build new schools and keep up with growth over the next 10 years clocks in at around $250 million. WCDSB would be only $15 million. By comparison, nearby Waterloo Region would be looking at a total cost of $445 million to build new schools.
In Guelph, UGDSB’s current replacement value is estimated to be $1,853 million, with a 10 year total cost estimated at $90 million. Meanwhile, WCDSB is looking at $493 million and nine million, respectively.
You can see the full FAO report here.
With files from The Trillium.
