Close to 30 per cent of OCDSB schools below 'state of good repair', according to financial watchdog

Close to 30 per cent of Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) schools are below a “state of good repair,” according to a new financial report.

The Financial Accountability Office of Ontario’s (FAO) report shows that 45 out of the 147 OCDSB schools, 30.6 per cent, are below the state of good repair.

The buildings were assessed on a rolling five-year cycle, where independent engineers examined the schools’ conditions, and the costs associated with the repairs. The school buildings were then classified into two categories, which are either in a state of good repair, requiring repairs, or below a state of good repair, which means the school needs to be either rehabilitated or rebuilt, reads the report.

Over the next 10 years, the FAO estimates a total cost of $127 million to clear the infrastructure backlog, $433 million to maintain the state of good repair, and a total cost of $13.4 million to rebuild schools in the OCDSB, reads the report.

In total, over the next 10 years, the FAO estimates a cost of $21.7 billion to clear the backlog and maintain all school buildings in a state of good repair across the province, including a $16.3 billion for school buildings in the English Public school system, $4 billion for the English Catholic school system, $0.4 billion for the French Public school system, and $1 billion for the French Catholic school system, reads the report.

The FAO is estimating a budget shortfall of $12.7 billion over 10 years across the province. The shortfall is estimated according to the province’s 10-year-capital plan as outlined in the 2024 budget, reads the report.

According to the report, a total of 3,037 schools are in a state of good repair, 1,781 schools are below the state of good repair or require rehabilitation, and only 32 schools require to be rebuilt in the province.

School capacity pressures

The utilization rate of the OCDSB schools for the 2023-24 school year was 94.1 per cent, with 76,059 enrolled students. The rate is 87.6 per cent for the entire province, with a total of 1,011,907 enrolled students, reads the report.

The report also reads that for the school year 2023-24, 35.4 per cent of OCDSB schools were over capacity, 51.7 per cent were under capacity and 12.9 per cent were underutilized. In Ontario, 30.1 per cent of schools operated over capacity, 52.2 per cent were under capacity, and 17.7 per cent were underutilized.

Over the next 10 years, the FAO estimates that school enrolment will increase by an average annual growth rate of 0.4 per cent over the next ten years, which means the school boards will need to address an estimated total capacity pressure of 240,878 students in 2033-34, according to the report.

The report suggests building new schools and using the underutilized schools to offset enrollment growth and optimize spaces. More information about the suggested measures are available in the report online.

The FAO provides independent analysis to the provincial government.

In a statement the OCDSB said that while several schools were flagged as falling below a state of good repair, the designation does not accurately reflect the actual condition of the facilities.

"Maintaining schools in a proactive state of good condition is a top priority for our district. Annually, the OCDSB performs $60-80M of infrastructure upgrades and maintains contingency funds for emergency repairs. In recent years, we have made significant progress in modernizing our facilities, including accessibility enhancements, improved ventilation, and cooling upgrades — achievements that exceed provincial benchmarks," the statement said.

"The FAO report stated that 45 OCDSB buildings fall below a "state of good repair" reflecting benchmark lifespan calculations rather than the actual condition of the facilities. With proper maintenance, buildings can often perform well beyond their projected lifespans. While approximately 80% of OCDSB’s infrastructure is over 20 years old and flagged for replacement or rehabilitation based on age, these buildings remain in good working order and continue to meet the needs of our students and staff.

"Looking to the future, we actively monitor building capacity and collaborate with the province to advance new infrastructure projects, which include both building new schools and additions to current schools. Currently, we are completing construction on two secondary schools and moving forward with Ministry-approved proposals for an additional new school and two additions to existing schools. We also proactively plan for growth across the city, acquiring property in advance when projections indicate the need for new schools."