Montreal

CSDM sees school maintenance budget slashed by $40M

La Commission scolaire de Montréal is raising concern about the province’s funding cuts for school maintenance.

Repairs needed to things like doors, windows and roofs, French-language school board says

Teachers at several Montreal schools sent in photos showing the poor state of maintenance where they work.

Montreal's largest French-language school board, the Commission scolaire de Montréal, is raising concern about the province's funding cuts for school maintenance.

The school board says its budget for building maintenance was cut by $40 million, down from $137 million in 2014-2015 to $97 million in 2015-2016.

CSDM president Catherine Harel-Bourdon says that means repairs to things like school doors, windows and roofs haven't been done.

In a statement, the province's education ministry said it plans to address the budget shortfall over the next several years, adding that it's a long process that requires a balanced approach.

Photos shared by teachers last month revealed the advanced state of disrepair in classrooms, washrooms and hallways in many CSDM schools.

with files from Radio-Canada's Louis-Philippe Ouimet