Ontario is investing $300 million over the next two years to repair schools across Northern Ontario.

The funding will help school boards repair roofs, update HVAC units, and modernize electrical and plumbing systems. It will also help improve parts of schools that directly impact students’ daily lives, including walls, flooring, ceilings and playing fields.

“This investment will give school boards the tools they need to create safe and modern spaces where our kids can learn and excel,” said Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Part of the investment includes four school boards serving the Sault Ste. Marie region, which will receive more than $62 million over two years — nearly $25 million more than originally budgeted.

Funding to repair and renew Northern schools is part of a provincewide infrastructure investment of $2.7 billion over two years. The province will publicly post detailed information on the condition and renewal needs of each of Ontario’s 4,900 public schools, about half of which are more than 40 years old.