The province of New Brunswick is severely underfunding school infrastructure projects, according to information shared at the latest meeting of the Anglophone East District Education Council (DEC).
The Department of Early Childhood and Education (EECD) has 422 projects on its regular capital list, totalling over $64 million in needed fixes and improvements. But each year the province has only been covering about $2.2 million—roughly 3%—of that growing total.
This year, Anglophone East has submitted a priority list of 17 regular capital projects estimated at $5.4 million, but as Tantramar DEC representative Michelle Folkins pointed out at last week’s meeting, EECD may only fund a fraction of that, between $700,000 and $1 million.
That would mean just two of the 17 projects could be completed in the next year, including phase two of washroom and locker room upgrades at Tantramar Regional High School. Also on the list–with little chance of being funded this year–are washroom upgrades for Salem Elementary and three projects at Port Elgin Regional School including washroom upgrades, a PA system replacement, and the decommissioning of underground ventillation ductwork.
The backlog is just as bad or worse when it comes to major capital projects, those expected to cost over $1 million, such as new schools, mid-life upgrades, and new additions to schools. Those projects are on a separate prioritized list, some have been languishing there for years, even dropping down in priority as the province’s QBL scoring system adjusts each year with new demands.
The rationalization of Marshview Middle School and Salem Elementary has been on the list since 2018. Folkins told her fellow councillors last week that in 2020, the project was number 11 on the provincial list. But this year, it’s dropped down to 42. The mid-life upgrade of Tantramar High, which has been on the list since 2016, now sits at 41 out of a total of 49 projects. Only three projects of the 49 are funded to be built this year, while five projects were added. And this year Anglophone East alone with request six major capital projects, all of them to address remarkably high growth in enrollment numbers in Moncton and surrounding areas.
“You can drastically see what’s happening to our current infrastructure,” said Folkins. “All of our current infrastructure is taking a backseat to our growth.”
Folkins put forward a motion to ask the Education minister to separate needs of existing infrastructure from new projects that are there to accommodate growth.
“If you don’t maintain what you currently have, you won’t have it,” said Folkins. “What we’re seeing, going from number 11 to 42, that’s not sustainable.”
Folkins’ fellow DEC member Dominic Vautour directly called on Premier Blaine Higgs and education minister Bill Hogan to address the rapidly growing infrastructure deficit.
“Why is the government not funding more projects?” asked Vautour, rhetorically. “Mr. Hogan, and Mr. Higgs, if you’re listening, we need these projects built now!” he pleaded.
