ATHENS – Greece’s antiquated schools, in such bad shape that plaster  is falling and electrical wires exposed in some, will begin to be fixed up with 250 million euros ($276 million), half of what Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis promised.

The money will come from the Public Investment Program although it was said that the government might also seek donations to do more work although the economy is growing again and tourism money is pouring in.

A meeting to decide on the allocation was led by Mitsotakis who announced a school renovation program at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) and with 500 million euros ($552.01 million) said coming for projects.

Many of Greece’s schools are grim, many don’t have gymnasiums or sports programs, are dilapidated inside and out, covered with graffiti, unmaintained and fixtures unfixed for years, left to deteriorate.

Upgrades to bathrooms and sports facilities, as well as significant repairs, will be prioritized, it was said, led by Ktiriakes Ypodomes, the agency responsible for public buildings such as schools, hospitals, courts, jails and fire stations.

Mitsotakis didn’t go into budget specifics at TIF but said he visited some schools and was appalled at what he saw, with 60 percent of schools almost 40 years old or more, built before there were building codes, and only 6 percent built since 2000.