Summary

The Building Schools Faster Act creates a framework for municipalities to acquire and service land for new schools, with provincial cost-sharing grants and ministerial authority to order municipalities to obtain suitable sites. The Act allows the minister to withhold provincial funding from municipalities that fail to comply with land acquisition orders, and exempts school land acquisition costs from municipal debt limits.

When a school board identifies the need for a new school, this Act requires the municipality to acquire suitable serviced land meeting provincial standards. The minister can order a municipality to buy land within a set timeframe and enter into a cost-sharing agreement where the province contributes to acquisition and servicing costs. If a municipality does not comply, the province can withhold an amount up to the land's fair market value from other provincial transfers to that municipality, following a 60-day notice period. Municipalities can use expropriation powers to obtain the land, and costs for acquiring school sites do not count toward municipal borrowing limits. The Act also amends planning legislation to allow municipalities to collect additional fees and require up to 2% extra municipal reserve land specifically for school purposes. Cost-sharing formulas, servicing standards, and other details will be set in regulations and ministerial guidelines.