The Northwest Catholic District School Board has identified almost $6.2 million in school improvements for the next five years.
Much of the spending proposes to take place in the first two years of the plan.
Manager of Facilities Austin Madussi says this includes health and safety items, such as accessibility to bring older schools up to current standards.
He says some items address functionality for staff and students.
“There are also infrastructure and green initiative items such as LED lighting and heat pumps that are kind of both have a green initiative component to them as well as a payback to improve the financial standing,” says Madussi.
Madussi notes the board has available nearly $6.9 million in unused capital funds.
The board also receives $1 million annually from the provincial government for capital improvements.
There are large expenditures noted in the first two years to utilize those funds.
It includes the installation of cameras at Sacred Heart School in Sioux Lookout, St. Joseph’s in Dryden and St. Mary in Fort Frances.
There are also plans to revamp the kindergarten and preschool playground at Sacred Heart School and install a fence around St. Mary School.
Madussi says the plans become more fluid in the final three years to reflect improvement needs in areas nearing their end of life.
