It would cost Ontario $31.4 billion over 10 years to clear a backlog of school repair needs, build enough new spaces to address growth and maintain all schools in a state of good repair, but the government's current plan falls far short of that, according to a report Tuesday from the province's fiscal watchdog.
The Financial Accountability Office wrote in a report that the provincial government's 10-year capital plan allocates $18.7 billion for school buildings, resulting in a shortfall of $12.7 billion.
Education Minister Jill Dunlop wrote in a statement that the province has doubled the funding to build and expand schools and cut construction timelines in half.