Capital Planning
The capital plan submissions from boards of education are used by the Ministry of Education to determine which priority capital projects may be included in the Ministry’s Capital Plan for the following fiscal year. The capital plan submissions also provide the Ministry with important insight into future year capital priorities, which can be used for longer term government planning and the determination of potential future capital funding requirements for the public education system.
If the Minister of Education approves a capital plan or a capital plan with modifications, the board of education will prepare a capital bylaw according to section 143 of the School Act (PDF). Capital bylaws are not required for each capital project.
Boards of Education require a capital bylaw for the following:
- Capital plan (including site acquisitions, Expansion Program, Replacement Program, Bus Acquisition Program, Seismic Mitigation Program, Building Envelope Program, School Enhancement Program, Carbon Neutral Capital Program, and Playground Equipment Program. Boards will prepare one bylaw for the annual capital plan. Capital plan bylaws must contain a provision by which the Board authorizes an appropriate official to execute project agreements related to the expenditures contemplated by the underlying capital plan.
Boards of Education may not amend a capital bylaw except when approved in writing by the Minister of Education (s. 143 (3) of the School Act).
Completing a capital bylaw: Pro formas and explanatory notes for capital and capital amendment bylaws are provided as a guide. Districts may customize the pro forma to suit individual needs – for example, removing the reference to Capital Plan for Annual Facilities Grant.
Notes about pro forma documents:
- Red text denotes choice and should be deleted before presenting the capital bylaw for Board approval.
- Remove the words “CORPORATE SEAL” prior to affixing the Board seal
- Capital Plan Instructions for 2021/22 5-yr CP Submissions – FINAL (PDF)
- Appendix A: Board Resolution (DOCX)
- Appendix B: Capital Plan Bylaw (DOCX)
- Appendix C: Long Range Facilities Plan Guidelines (LRFP) (PDF)
- Appendix D: Demolition Project Request Fact Sheet (DPRFS) (DOCX)
- Appendix E: Project Request Fact Sheet (PRFS) (DOCX)
- Appendix F: Seismic Project Identification Report (SPIR) (PDF)
- Appendix G: Seismic Project Request Fact Sheet (SPRFS) (DOCX)
- Surrounding Schools Analysis-Existing School Project (XLSX)
- Surrounding Schools Analysis-New School Project (XLSX)
The School Sites Acquisition Charge (SSAC) is a charge per dwelling unit to be paid by residential developers. The charge collected by local government is transferred to school boards to help them to fund for new school sites needed as a result of new residential development.
- Local Government Act: Part 14 – Planning and Land Use Management Division 20 — School Site Acquisition Charges
- School Site Acquisition Charge Regulation (PDF)
- Implementation Guide: School Site Acquisition Charge (PDF)
- School Site Selection Guide (PDF)
- SSAC Calculator (XLS)
- School District SSAC Resolution Template (DOC)
- Explanatory Notes, Education Statutes Amendment Act, 1998 (PDF)
- Sample SSAC Letter to Local Government (PDF)
- 2020/21 AFG Expenditure Plan Template (XLSX) April 2020
- Analysis for Equity and Fairness (GBA+) (PDF)
- Area Standards (PDF)
- Budget Review Guidelines V1.1 (PDF) - January 2021
- Capital Project Budget Guidelines for Local Government Service Charges and Bylaw Requirements (PDF)
- Enrolment Data (Public School Aged Headcount)
- PDR Schedule B Template_V1.5 (XSLX) September 2020
- Schedule B Companion Document V1.7 (PDF) January 2021
- Portable Inventory 2020 (XSLX) June 2020
- Testing Lead Content in Drinking Water of School Facilities Report (XSLX) January 2021
