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The provincial government is spending four times as much per school on maintenance for 18 new P3 schools as it is for the remaining 621 schools in Saskatchewan.

This year’s budget shows the province is spending $4.8 million for maintenance on 18 new joint-use schools — built using a public-private partnership — which works out to $266,666.67 per school.

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For the province’s remaining 621 schools, it is spending $49.6 million on preventative maintenance, which works out to $79,871.18 per school.

Of the province’s 639 schools, 414 of them — roughly two-thirds — are more than 50 years old.

Education Minister Gord Wyant said Wednesday the maintenance funding for the P3 schools is “dedicated solely to the schools that are constructed with the (P3) proponent” and money for maintenance on those schools will be set aside for the next 30 years.

Essentially the province is setting aside maintenance money now for its new schools, so that the cash will already be there when fixes are needed.