News
Release
Education and Early Childhood Development
$70.5 million to be invested in school system
11 December 2019
FREDERICTON
(GNB) – The provincial government is investing $70.5 million in fiscal 2020-21
to help build a world-class education system, a $10 million increase from last
year.
In
tabling his department’s capital budget today, Education and Early Childhood
Development Minister Dominic Cardy said that the process for choosing school
infrastructure projects will be transparent. He said the provincial government
will ensure that community needs are carefully considered in the
decision-making process.
“Our
government is making the capital budget process for education fully
transparent, and protecting it from political influence and interference,” said
Cardy. “From now on communities will know where their schools stand on this
priority list. Also, New Brunswickers can support their schools as part of
broader government and community-led initiatives, projects like the Saint John
community school which has shown the best of our province: government,
community, and the business community working together.”
In the
coming weeks, the department will make public a provincial priority list of
capital projects to provide communities with transparent and objective
information on asset management.
“Making
this list public will ensure that communities are aware of the priorities for
life upgrades, school additions, new schools or school rationalization
projects, all while removing the opportunities for subjective or partisan
perspectives,” said Cardy.
The
list is established annually with the participation of school districts and is
based on a data-driven analysis process that provides a provincial perspective
to long-term planning regarding infrastructure projects in education.
The
government is allocating $44.1 million to support construction projects already
underway. In addition, $23.5 million dollars will go towards repairs, upgrades,
equipment and the dust collector program to ensure schools remain safe for
students.
The
current construction projects already underway are:
·
École
Arc-en-Ciel (K-8) in Oromocto;
·
École
secondaire Assomption in Rogersville;
·
the K-8 school
in Hanwell;
·
the K-8
francophone school in Moncton; and
·
the 6-8
anglophone school in the northern part of Moncton.
“We
have a responsibility to work together and ensure that our province’s budget
allows us to support New Brunswickers while living within our means,” said
Cardy. “I believe our budget achieves an important balance of providing for the
needs of our students and educators while ensuring we are making prudent,
informed and data-driven decisions with taxpayer funds.”