Dozens of Hamilton schools are in disrepair

Parents at Balaclava Public School in Carlisle are sounding the alarm, capturing photos of moldy ceiling tiles and buckets in the hallways.

The school board has made adjustments while they wait for a new roof this summer, but it’s just one of many schools in the city that are in disrepair.

Over the winter months, parents found upwards of 30 buckets positioned in hallways and classrooms throughout the school.

Today, the school’s trustee Penny Deathe tells us they’re down to 3 or 4.

Balaclava was built 30 years ago and still has its original roof. It has been scheduled to get a new one this summer. In the meantime, workers have patched it.

According to the latest data from the ministry in 2017, Balaclava has been in need of nearly $800,000 worth of repairs. That number has obviously gone up because the school board estimates the cost of a new roof alone is $920,000.

According to the board, there’s more than 300-million dollars in backlog repairs throughout 100 schools in Hamilton.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath is calling on the province to step up.

The Ministry of Education says this past year they provided 1 point 4 billion dollars for school repairs across the province.

In one week, parents have been invited to attend a meeting at Balaclava with staff from the school board parents. It wasn’t until they took their concerns to the media that they say they started to hear from officials and the hope is, that will change.