The Ontario government is allocating substantial funds to build new, modern schools and renew existing schools across the province. An investment of $13 billion in capital grants over 10 years was outlined in the government’s budget tabled on Thursday.

As part of this investment, the province will also provide $1.4 billion for the 2020–2021 school year for facility repair and renewal, which continues to meet the recommended funding level by the Auditor General of Ontario to preserve the condition of Ontario’s school facilities.

The budget also brings an additional investment of $50 million in one-time funding to support improved ventilation, air quality and HVAC system effectiveness in schools.

Child care spaces are another commitment, as the government plans to create up to 30,000 new child care spaces in the next five years. In 2019–2020, the total number of licensed child care spaces grew by more than 16,000, representing an increase of almost four per cent compared to the prior year.