Fix Our Schools campaign pleased with new level of provincial funding for repairs to Ontario's publicly funded schools

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 27, 2016) - Fix Our Schools is pleased that today, the provincial government has recognized schools as critical infrastructure in Ontario by increasing annual funding for school repairs to $1.3-billion this year and $1.4-billion in 2016/17. We are also pleased that all political party leaders at Queen's Park have recognized the issue of disrepair in Ontario's schools as an important one.

"Over the past two decades, Ontario has dug a $15-billion hole of disrepair in our publicly funded schools," says Krista Wylie, a parent and co-founder of the Fix Our Schools Campaign. "With this new funding commitment of $1.4-billion/year for school repairs, we've stopped the digging but a large hole remains. This Fall, children will still return to aging classrooms with leaking roofs - so we stay committed to working with all MPP's and Ontario school boards to ensure we Fix Our Schools."

Earlier this year, Fix Our Schools called upon the provincial government to increase annual funding for school repairs to $1.4-billion/year - the amount identified by the Auditor-General as needed to keep Ontario's publicly funded schools in a state of good repair. Fix Our Schools also asked for a long-term funding plan that would address the $15-billion repair backlog that has accumulated in Ontario's schools over the past two decades.

Fix Our Schools looks forward to working with all MPP's and school boards to ensure that:

• The new level of investment of $1.4-billion/year starts to decrease the $15-billion repair backlog that currently exists in Ontario's publicly funded schools.
• The issue of disrepair in Ontario's schools is a major election issue in the next provincial election in 2018; and continues to be an important focus of our provincial government.

Fix Our Schools is a grassroots, non-partisan, parent-led campaign creating a large network of citizens across Ontario who expect that every publicly funded school in the province is a safe, well-maintained building that provides a good learning environment for students and a good working environment for teachers and staff.

Krista Wylie, Co-founder of Fix Our Schools, will be available for further comment at provincial funding announcement on Monday, June 27 at 12:00 pm at Harbord Collegiate Institute, 286 Harbord Street in Toronto.