The exterior of Peden Elementary School. Cracked paint, old doors, crumbling pavement, these were just some of the issues highlighted by SD57 that more funding could help address.

By Tommy Osborne

SD57 funding

“Barely keeps us afloat:” more provincial funding needed for SD57 schools

Jun 11, 2024 | 4:12 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – School District 57 (SD57) is calling on the province to provide more funding for school maintenance and upgrades. This comes amid the British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) highlighting that almost $9 billion dollars will be needed across the province over the next five years to address life-cycle and deferred maintenance for schools.

“For us here, the biggest concern is the age of our buildings, a lot of the buildings in Prince George, as you know, are older. We have a few new buildings, but most of them are older and they will continue to get older, so we need to have a plan,” said SD57 School Board Chair Craig Brennan.

SD57’s Manager of Capital Planning and Projects Darren Watson says there is $4.2 million dollars in the Annual Facilities Grant for building maintenance and upgrades, and when you consider that has to be stretched over 50 schools it becomes apparent just how little each school can actually receive.

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“It just barely keeps us afloat, it puts all the fires out,” Watson said.

“If I want to do $60,000 for a washroom upgrade, and you have 200 plus washrooms, do the math. We’ll never get them all done in our in my air and time.”

A tour of Peden Elementary School highlighted just how urgent the need is, as Watson showcased several areas that need more work done, but haven’t received it due to a lack of funding. Among other concerns, Watson highlighted:

• Asbestos in the ceilings and walls. When contained, asbestos is not a health hazard, but he would like to renovate to remove any potential risk.
• Doors that haven’t been upgraded for decades.
• Decaying floors and carpets, causing tripping hazards.
• Cracking paint, both interior and exterior.
• Outdated bathrooms.

While there are many concerns for Peden Elementary and other SD57 schools, Watson added there has been notable upgrades done, like new windows, upgrades to heating and ventilation, and new stair railings for safety. While that obviously helps, there are still many things left undone due to a lack of funds.

“There’s not enough money to get ahead of it. So you are just trying to maintain as opposed to saying ‘maybe we need to get ahead of some of these projects,’ Brennan said.

Given that this is an election year, Brennan added he hopes whatever government wins the election takes school funding seriously, and hopes to see an increase in funds and more improvement on the way soon.

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