The government claims “pre-existing conditions” as grounds to refuse to fix schools

The Sask. Party government refuses to do emergency repairs on school roofs that are “leaking, rotting, and in danger of collapse” because it deems them to be “pre-existing situations.”

Documents obtained through access-to-information laws show the government said no to emergency repairs of dangerous structural issues at multiple schools in at least one school division, Prairie Spirit, which is in the Saskatoon area.

“It is absolutely ridiculous for this government to use legalese and red tape to weasel out of fixing school roofs that are rotting and in danger of collapse, and schools that have major structural damage,” said NDP Leader Cam Broten. “This is about the safety of children and this is about providing a good space to learn. To say no to these emergency repairs on the grounds that these are pre-existing conditions defies common sense and it says a lot about this government’s misplaced priorities.”

An internal government email notes: “Prairie Spirit has made multiple requests through the program, most of which have been denied.” The email goes on to say: “The majority of the requests have had old engineering requests that date back to as early as 2006 identifying issues that needed to be, but have not been addressed. As the policy is clear that the emergent program is for unknown, not pre-existing situations, most of the requests have been denied.” A separate letter confirms the policy, referring to the major problems in Prairie Spirit schools as “pre-existing conditions.”

Applications for emergency funding which the government denied include:

• Rosthern High School: “Barrel roof is leaking, rotting and in danger of collapse. Drywall is falling form the ceiling in the library. Further deterioration will result in the closure of this entire wing, which houses most of the classroom space.”
• Rosthern Elementary School: “Structural pad is sinking, causing large gaps in the walls and concerns of plumbing line failure,” and “Roof is rotting and portions are disintegrating.”
• Colonsay School: “Structural damage to roof/wall of the gym”

The total cost of the three projects is $5.2 million. The government suggested that Prairie Spirit could perhaps use its funding from the Preventative Maintenance and Renewal Program (PMR), however Prairie Spirit received just $1.37 million through the PMR program this year for all building maintenance in the entire division.

Province-wide, the Sask. Party says it’s aware of at least $1.5 billion in school repairs that are necessary, but refuses to share the list or any details with parents or teachers. The total PMR is only $27 million, less than two per cent of the need.

“The Sask. Party government has had record revenues for eight years now – and this year it plans to spend more than any year in the province’s history – but it can’t even fix our school roofs that are rotting and disintegrating? It makes no sense,” said Broten. “No wonder more and more Saskatchewan people are starting to ask where all the money has gone. This government has wasted far too much money on its misplaced priorities, instead of investing in what matters most to Saskatchewan people – better schools, better hospitals, better seniors care, and better roads. Saskatchewan families deserve so much better.”

Read the documents accessed via Freedom of Information laws.