A decision by Ontario’s new Tory government to cancel a $100-million fund earmarked for school repairs this year is going to cost school boards in Windsor-Essex hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The cut is the result of Doug Ford's campaign promise to scrap the province's cap-and-trade system.

School boards were notified on July 3 that the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund would be eliminated and that only work contracted on or before that date would be covered.

The memo, obtained by The Canadian Press, advises school boards to stop spending the cash that was allocated in April immediately.

"Please maintain detailed records of the contracts that have been signed as ministry staff will contact boards to collect information on the scope of the work underway," the memo said.

According to AM800 News, the cost to the Greater Essex County District School Board is $2.5-million, The cost for the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board is nearly $840,000.

The province has an approximate $15 billion repair backlog at its 4,900 publicly funded schools.

Stephen Seaborn, spokesman for the education advocacy group Campaign for Public Education, said the cut will hurt schools across Ontario.

"It's bad," he said. "It was done just like as if it was nothing. There was no discussion about what would be done about the budgets of the schools."

Seaborn said the cancellation of cap and trade has clearly had unintended consequences and cutting funds for the renovation program is a prime example.

"My message for the premier is watch what you do," he said. "It has huge implications for 2 million school kids across the province."

Ford campaigned on a promised eliminate cap and trade and revoked the regulation laying out the program as one of his first acts after he was officially sworn in on June 29.

Ford's spokesman Simon Jefferies said the Tories received a strong mandate from voters to end cap and trade.

"To ensure an orderly wind-down of programs funded through the cap-and-trade carbon tax, the government will honour arrangements where contracts have already been signed and orders have already been made," he said in a statement.

"Decisions to continue any specific initiatives will be made on a case-by-case basis."

NDP legislator Peggy Sattler said the Ford government's decision to cut the fund will hurt Ontario's children.

"Kids finished the school year in sweltering classrooms, and by winter, they'll be wearing their coats and mittens at their desks," Sattler said in a statement. "There are water fountains that aren't safe to drink from and roofs that need to be replaced."

Sattler said with a multi-billion repair backlog, Ontario's schools need investment, not cuts.

"It's sad that there is no hope coming for kids and educators, and absolutely disgusting that our children's classrooms is one of the first places Doug Ford's axe is falling," she said.

( with files from the Canadian Press )