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The Alberta Liberals accused the government Friday of neglecting a massive $1.5-billion maintenance backlog at K-12 schools and post-secondary institutes across the province.

The Liberals obtained the figures through a Freedom of Information request, which shows deferred maintenance for K-12 schools is nearly $852 million, while post-secondaries have a combined backlog of $660.4 million.

Not only can the Tories not build any of the new schools promised but they cant even keep the existing ones in any reasonable shape, said Kent Hehr, Liberal education and advance education critic.

This is a stunning combination of neglect and incompetence that results in our kids paying the price as they are forced to learn in rundown, overcrowded schools, Hehr said.

According to the document, Calgarys public and Catholic school boards maintenance backlogs of $149.7 million and $25.2 million respectively.

The Calgary Board of Education has regularly stated its deferred maintenance tab has grown to nearly $1 billion.

In an email, Frank Coppinger, superintendent of facilities for the CBE, said the difference is one of definition, timing and number of facilities assessed.

The CBE allows for the aging of the facilities ... and adds life cycle replacement costs for a realistic final total value of deferred maintenance of $969 million, Coppinger said.

Unlike the CBE, Calgarys Catholic School District has aligned its deferred maintenance figures with the provincial government.

In Edmonton, the public and Catholic school boards have accumulated maintenance backlogs of $186.1 million and $112.5 million respectively.

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Liberals slam province over massive $1.5B maintenance backlog at schools