More than £3.2million will be spent on repair works for York schools.
Councillors approved plans to replace fire alarm systems and boilers as well as to fix leaking roofs, heating pipes and lighting at a number of schools.
Under the plans, Huntington Secondary School will get money for vital repairs to its roofs and windows as well as the damaged surface of the car park at the all-weather pitch, which is also used by York Hockey Club.
Head teacher John Tomsett welcomed the news, saying:
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We are delighted with the support from the local authority, it’s tremendous for the young people in our school to benefit from improved facilities.
He added that in 2011 central government had cut the school’s budget for repairs from £160,000 a year to just £28,000.
Pipes and asbestos
And a report prepared for a council meeting says the 55-year-old heating pipes at Dringhouses Primary, which burst in December, will also be replaced.
But the work will cost £250,000 because asbestos was discovered within the ducts.
And it says parts of the building at Westfield Primary are in “extremely poor condition”, leading to “excessively high” energy bills for the school. The roofs, windows, doors and gutters will be upgraded at a cost of £300,000.
About £1.5million of the money for the schemes will come from Department for Education, with the rest set aside from funding bids.
Mark Ellis, the council’s head of school services, told councillors:
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Twenty-five schemes have been prioritised as the most urgent.
Many of these schemes will help those school buildings become more energy efficient and reduce costs. For example double glazing, LED lighting, more efficient boilers – so hopefully that will certainly improve those things.
Applefields School is also set to receive £270,000 from a government grant to expand and improve its teaching facilities.