Schools that fall into disrepair could miss out as the cash-strapped Education Authority admits budget problems will likely mean reduced maintenance.
The admission comes after Belfast Live revealed how staff at a Derry nursery have been forced to launch an online appeal to pay for repairs to a collapsed roof.
A spokesperson for the Education Authority said it expects "programmes of maintenance work will be reduced" given the "likelihood of an extremely constrained budget in the next financial year".
Read more: Derry principal appeals for help to repair caved-in roof after Education Authority says no
Anne Burke, Principal of Belmont Nursery in Derry, launched a fundraising campaign earlier this month after being told by the Education Authority it can't afford to fix a collapsed roof at a room used to store play equipment.
Speaking to Belfast Live, she warned children would miss out due to the damage to the school store unless funding could be secured to have it repaired.
Asked to respond, a spokesperson for the Education Authority (EA) said the remaining storage facilities at the nursery "exceed those recommended by the Department of Education" and that the unit with the collapsed roof is "beyond economical repair".
The spokesperson added: "From the wider funding perspective, the EA is facing an extremely challenging financial situation and given the likelihood of an extremely constrained budget in the next financial year, it is anticipated that programmes of maintenance work will be reduced."
Concerns about budgets have been raised repeatedly in recent weeks.
The chief executives of several education bodies - inclduing those representing boards of governors, both controlled and maintained school sectors and the Education Authority - warned in a joint statement earlier this week that the projected funding shortgall for the year ahead is "very likely to be well in excess of £0.5 billion for the incoming financial year".
Foyle MLA Mark Durkan, who had made the case for the repairs at Belmont Nursery to the EA, warned that a failure to maintain school buildings properly would ultimately impact children's education.
"I know of a number of schools in Derry where the heating system has become so antiquated the school has been forced to close," the SDLP MLA said.
"The heating system hadn't been maintained and, because the heating wasn't working, they had to close."
He added: "If there is no ability to improve children's learning environment it is going to impact on their learning - and it is impacting on their learning.
There are already problems across the schools estate and it is worrying to learn that it may become worse."
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