Overview
The provincial government is dedicated to ensuring school facilities are safe, healthy and support student learning. Province-wide efforts have been made to assess the structural integrity of school buildings and monitor key environmental factors, like drinking water quality and indoor air quality.
2020 air quality review
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the province created a ventilation working group with experts to review the latest science and guidance on indoor air quality. This group developed and regularly updated a guide to help school districts improve air circulation in schools.
In 2020, the province reviewed all public schools and identified 66 schools without integrated mechanical ventilation systems. As a result, the provincial government approved a program to install new ventilation systems in eligible schools, while some older schools will be replaced through the regular capital building program. Ongoing assessments are used to confirm the scope and cost of this work.
By the end of the 2024-25 school year, ventilation systems had been installed in 28 schools, with 11 more in the construction phase. All remaining schools are scheduled to have systems installed by the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year. Since 2021, more than $34.5 million has been invested in improving school ventilation.