Provincial government to spend $1.3 billion on Ontario schools

The provincial government says it will spend $1.3 billion to support the construction and expansion of 60 schools across Ontario.

But it’s not clear how many of those 60 will be brand new schools. 

Education Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement in Oakville on Thursday. Lecce says the funding will create more than 27,000 new student spaces and over 1,700 childcare spaces.

The money is part of the government’s $214 billion budget that was tabled last week. 

Lecce and the finance minister said the province needs to start building more now to keep up with the growth and need in Ontario.

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It is unclear how many schools will be built, how many will be expanded, what the locations are and how many will be public or catholic. 

“We’re going to be unveiling each of those schools over the next six to eight weeks. Today’s investment is the doubling of funding and a doubling of the number of schools we’ve historically built. It also ensures that we’re building 27,000 net new spaces in this year’s funding commitment alone,” Education Minister Lecce says.

“So it’s significant. And I assure you, catholic and public English and French school boards are all net beneficiaries of this renewed investment” Lecce says.

The government says this money is part of its plan to provide about $16 billion over 10 years to support school construction, repair and renewal.