The Dilemma

Every year, many North American schools are asked to deliver more while spending less, despite the unrelenting increases in energy and facility management costs.  Budgets are becoming harder and harder to balance, and some of the choices each school board faces are either to delay needed infrastructure projects, decrease facility management budgets, or decrease class offerings, with none of the alternatives being attractive. Much-needed energy efficiency and infrastructure projects are often just delayed.  

In Canada, the challenge facing schools is staggering.  In December 2015, the Office of the Auditor General for the Province of Ontario reported in a news release: “The Ministry of Education estimated that it needs $1.4 billion a year to maintain schools in a state of good repair, based on industry averages. However, actual annual maintenance funding over the last five years has ranged from $150 million to $500 million…. Just as investment is needed to maintain and improve existing assets, significant investment is also needed to build new assets. For example, there are currently over 100,000 Ontario students in temporary accommodations (portables), and about 10% of schools are operating at over 120% capacity in the province. About $2.6 billion worth of projects are submitted to the Ministry of Education by school boards for funding consideration every year. However, over the last five years, the Ministry has approved only about a third of the projects every year.”

Acquiring the use of a new or refurbished infrastructure asset has become very challenging for Canadian schools.  It is time for a completely new approach.

 

The Solution

The IGNITE Sustainable Communities Program, which was created by IGNITE Infrastructure Association Inc, is a revolutionary new approach to acquire the use of a new or refurbished infrastructure asset by school boards.  The flexibility and structure of the IGNITE Program allows the school board to:

• Do what’s best for the school and the school district
• Develop a sustainable, long-term infrastructure plan approach
• Take control of infrastructure costs
• Provide cost certainty for infrastructure operation and maintenance
• Remove many barriers from long-term corporate planning
• Address environmental issues

 

For more detail, contact us by phone or email.

Why Join IGNITE

 

OVERVIEW

We’re creating The New Way Forward. The IGNITE Infrastructure Association offers a member-driven, collaborative nonprofit platform, created to provide its members with access to the world’s leading expertise and resources in infrastructure enhancement and energy savings implementation.

 

MISSION

To be the new way forward for public organizations to efficiently renew and expand their infrastructure.

 

BENEFITS

Members not only enjoy access to a wealth of resources and collaboration opportunities both globally and locally, they gain access to the IGNITE Program – a member-driven initiative which is designed to deliver a tailored plan for any large-scale infrastructure or sustainability project.

 

GET INVOLVED

Currently, membership is available at no-cost for public organizations such as governments, First Nations, municipalities, schools, universities and other higher education institutions, and healthcare facilities. Simply contact us by phone or email to learn how to become an IGNITE Member.