SD72 - Operating Grant

School District 72 has received a $1.6-million grant from the Ministry of Education and Child Care for upgrading or replacing facility components, addressing health and safety concerns, enhancing service potential, or reducing operating costs. 

The District’s director of operations, Jason Decksheimer, says the projects fall under nine different categories: asbestos abatement, accessibility, electrical, exterior wall, HVAC, interior construction, plumbing, roofing, and site upgrades. However, he clarified that certain expenditures are ineligible, including building expansions or acquisitions, sites/land, equipment, furnishings, computers, and vehicles.

With the average age of district facilities being 50 years old, there is a significant need for modernizing spaces to meet current educational needs.

Planning for the Annual Facilities Grant spans a five-year cycle, although funding is set annually. The district’s AFG plan is developed through consultations with school principals, maintenance site walkthroughs, and consideration of regulatory requirements, district priorities, and historical requests. 

For the 2024-2025 funding year, the district plans to allocate about half of the AFG budget, approximately $800,000, to school and district priorities, with the remainder directed towards asset renewal activities. Major themes for AFG projects in the upcoming year include washroom safety improvements, window coverings, and space modernization. Guidelines and design standards are being drawn up for washrooms, including vape detection. This initiative hopes to begin to address some washroom safety improvements over the summer.