More than 50 public schools in Waterloo region may need repair, FAO report says

A report from the Financial Accountability Office (FAO) in Ontario shows that more than 50 public schools in Waterloo region are below a state of good repair.

This news comes as Elizabeth Ziegler Public School in Waterloo is set to be closed for most of March over safety concerns about the building's facade.

In the report from December 2024, the FAO revealed 55 out of 123 public schools under the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) are below a "state of good repair" (SOGR).

According to the report, a building that is considered to be below SOGR "either requires rehabilitation (repairs) or should be replaced with a new school (rebuilt)."

This is determined using a "condition index" developed by the Ministry of Infrastructure, which says: 

The report also said seven out of 48 schools overseen by the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) fall below SOGR.

In an emailed statement, Bill Lemon, associate director of business services at WRDSB, told CBC News "this [report's] data comes from the School Facility Condition Assessment Program, which was paused during the pandemic and does not reflect current school conditions." 

"The next assessment cycle for WRDSB will begin next year, with approximately 25-30 schools evaluated annually," he said.

The FAO report said that every year, about 20 per cent of schools are assessed. For WRDSB, that means 24.6 schools should be assessed per year — a number that aligns with what Lemon said in the email statement.

Lemon said the WRDSB is "projected to receive $10.4M through the School Renewal Allocation (SRA)."

"These funds are essential for replacing critical infrastructure that has reached end-of-life, including windows, roofing, flooring, and HVAC systems, as well as enhancing accessibility across our facilities," he said.

Lemon also said WRDSB will receive a $33-million allocation from the Ministry of Education via the School Condition Improvement (SCI) Grant for 2024-2025, which should allow the school board to "address backlogged priority projects and bring older schools up to current standards."

Lemon said the WRDSB has invested more than $225 million in upgrading school infrastructure across the district over the past five years. 

"While funding limitations mean not all prioritized projects can be completed immediately, we continue to make substantial progress."