New buildings, upgrades soak up most of education department’s capital budget

Paul Quassa, Nunavut’s minister of education, standing, presented his department’s capital budget estimates for 2015-16 in the legislative assembly Oct. 27. MLAs are reviewing capital budget estimates for all departments during the assembly’s fall sitting. Nunavut’s finance minister, Keith Peterson, right, tabled the estimates on the opening day of the fall session, Oct. 21. (PHOTO BY PETER VARGA)

The Government of Nunavut’s department of Education, with the second highest share of next year’s capital budget, will spend most of that money on upgrades and school construction projects across the territory.

Almost $37.8 million will go to construction and upgrades to schools in 2015-2016 — a sum that represents about 18.4 per cent of Nunavut’s $205.6-million capital budget estimate.

Although that share is nowhere near the huge $81.4-million sum that the Department of Economic Development and Transportation will spend, the education department well ahead of other large departments and agencies, such as Community and Government Services, the Nunavut Housing Corp., and the Department of Health.

That share is in line with the government’s mandate, dubbed Sivumut Ubluqta, which highlights education as a priority.

Most of the amounts will go to existing projects, Paul Quassa, the minister of education, told MLAs Oct. 27 in a committee of the whole session at Nunavut’s legislature.

Quassa described the projects in a prepared statement.

They include:

• construction stages of a new high school in Repulse Bay, for $18.5 million;

• renovations and additions to Qiqirtaq High School in Gjoa Haven, at $11.5 million;

• design of a new high school in Igloolik, at $250,000;

• project evaluation for a new middle school in Arviat, at $250,000;

• planning stages for a new middle school on Baker Lake, at $100,000;

• renovations to Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, for $100,000; and,

• Computer hardware and software upgrades in schools throughout the territory, for $800,000.

The Department of Education is working with the Department of Community and Government Services to develop a standardized school design that will be “more cost-effective and cost-efficient,” Quassa said.

Quassa’s department has also budgeted $5 million for repairs to the more costly elements of school buildings, such as foundations, boilers, air circulation units and other items that need periodic replacement.

Nunavut operates 43 schools, which host 9,329 students from kindergarten to Grade 12, Quassa said.

Of these, some 4,591 attend classes in the Baffin region, 3,057 in the Kivalliq region, and 1,681 in the Kitikmeot region.

“My department is committed to providing space dedicated to early childhood programs in any renovated or new Department of Education buildings,” Quassa told the assembly’s committee of the whole.

These will include preschool programs, full-time daycare centres, as well as “language nests, aboriginal head start programs, and-or parents and tots programs,” Quassa said.

All schools slated for construction or major work will include space for such preschool programs.

This is in line with the government’s increased focus on early childhood education and growing demand for such programs from Nunavummiut, the minister said.

Also on the budget for 2015-2016, but unrelated to school buildings, is $250,000 to cover requests for school buses and other vehicles for the department.

Quassa noted the department bought new buses for Taloyoak, Hall Beach and Clyde River in the current fiscal year, 2014-2015.

The department’s capital estimates did not include figures on housing for education staff.

“The government as a whole faces many pressures with respect to housing needs,” said David Joanasie, MLA for South Baffin, in his response to Quassa as chair of the standing committee on social wellness.

“Standing committee members encourage the minister to establish a long-term housing strategy for education staff across Nunavut,” he said.