Toronto’s public school board must commit to selling $162.2 million worth of school land over the next three years in order for the province to free up money to pay for a list of urgent school rebuilds and renovations, the Star has learned.

The confidential report before Toronto District School Board trustees recommends that 11 properties be sold by the 2015-16 school year.

Trustees have already discussed the report which will be debated and voted on in private at Wednesday night’s board meeting, after which the results will be made public. Trustees will also finalize the 2013-14 operating budget.

Most properties on the list are schools that were closed years ago and are now rented out. They include Sir Sandford Fleming (near Allen Rd.-Highway 401), Silver Creek (near Islington-Eglinton Aves.) and Mallow (Don Mills-The Donway area).

Silver Creek currently rents space to a preschool for special needs students and houses a program for students with severe behavioural issues, staffed by TDSB teachers.

At least two on the list have operating schools on site and are recommended to lose portions of their yards: Davisville Junior Public School and the Bloor-Dufferin site which includes Kent Senior Public School.

One of the targeted sites is Boyne River Natural Science School, a 160-hectare outdoor education centre in Shelburne that the board shuttered to help balance the budget back in 2002. It has since fallen into a state of disrepair, and is valued at $4.7 million.

The three-year capital plan was developed by the province’s special assistance team and board staff. The team, called in after the rebuilding of Nelson Mandela Park Public School went $7 million over budget, began its work at the start of the year to help the board grapple with a $50-million capital deficit, which the province blamed on cost overruns on about a quarter of all projects.

Last fall, the province froze new building projects at the board until trustees approved a capital plan.

However, trustees have argued that about half the deficit is the result of the province requiring the board to put money in the bank to essentially pay off a long-term debenture, to get it off the books.

Over the years, and despite a dwindling student population, Toronto trustees have been reluctant to close schools and sell off properties in case enrolment patterns change. Indeed, enrolment is expected to climb in the coming years though the board will still, overall, have more space than students.

Since 2008, it has disposed of more than $250 million through its real estate arm, the Toronto Lands Corp. Such funds can only be used to build and renovate, not pay for staff or school programs.

Such sell-offs tend to be controversial, with some trustees opposed to getting rid of land the board may need in the future. Others want the money to go back to the community or the schools where the land was sold, and not into a central pot to take care of the most urgent projects.

In this case, the eight priority projects the ministry has said can be approved once trustees agree to sell off the 11 sites include: Avondale, Albion Heights, Brockton, George Webster, Davisville, Chief Dan George, Highcastle and Sprucecourt.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Avondale, in the Yonge-Sheppard corridor in North York, is in an area so overcrowded that the board is forced to bus students out of their neighbourhood.

The sites recommended to be sold over the next three years are: Appian (North York), Bloor-Dufferin (portion of land), Boyne outdoor education centre, Castlebar (Etobicoke), Davisville (portion of land), Kipling Grove (Etobicoke), Mallow, Regent Park, Silver Creek, Sir Sandford Fleming and Vincent Massey (Etobicoke).