$7.8-m in renovations for LBPSB

School facilities in the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) will be receiving maintenance after the education ministry approved a $7.8-million grant late March. The council already approved nine facility resolutions at the last board meeting, with more expected this month.

Though LBPSB buildings are generally in good shape, the grant is part of what keeps them in top condition. “While we’re not in a terrible situation in any building we still need the grants that we get from the government every year to continue this proactively. We hope that we never get to a stage where we have to remove students to fix a problem,” said chairperson, Suanne Stein Day.

She attributes the good condition of the board’s buildings to being proactive on issues, thanks to the head of the facilities department being a structural engineer, and the assistant director an architect.

“You’re not going to have mould in your buildings if you’re constantly on the lookout for roof problems, window problems, floor problems and foundation problems . . .  We’ve worked very proactively to make sure that we don’t get to the point that buildings need not be torn down because it’s just not worth trying to remove the mould and mildew from them.”

“Closed envelope”

The $7.8-m is strictly for building maintenance, and can only be used on projects approved by the ministry. Around $3.2-million in resolutions were approved March 29, including new water metres for 10 schools.

Close to $700,000 has been allotted for new windows and brick repair at Dorval Elementary. The work will be carried out in the summer and fall of 2016. All of the windows at the school are original to the building except the gym windows, which have already been replaced.

Good omens?

The funding for school facilities isn’t necessarily a positive signal for the future of LBPSB schools. The board has grown accustomed to receiving the annual grant, but at the end of the day the facilities belong to the government, “so it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep them well maintained,” explained Stein Day.

“If the worst case scenario happened and more schools got closed . . . they’d still have to maintain those buildings,” said Stein Day.

The board should vote on the next round of renovation resolutions at the next council meeting, April 25.