Report: Duval faces $1.08 billion tab to renovate, replace schools

[Jagsdrew]

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20181218/report-duval-faces-108-billion-tab-to-renovate-replace-schools

"About 30 percent of Duval's buildings, at least 56, are in poor or very poor condition or they need to be replaced, according to the study by Jacobs Engineers. The district paid the firm $1.2 million to help it develop a long-term facilities plan, which could include closing and consolidating some schools while repairing or replacing others."

Also interesting:

"Adding complexity to Duval's effort to plan, charter schools continue to open and grab students and state funding, said Smith Juarez. Districts can't plan to open new schools without state approval, but charter schools can open when and where they want, she said.

This year about 14,000 Duval County students attend charter schools, which are public schools operating independently of elected school boards."

[thelakelander]

Since we aren't the most social equitable conscious community, I'm sure majority of the "closures" and "consolidations" will be targeted for urban core communities where walkable access to public spaces is an important part of the neighborhood's long term stability and economic health. Having more Mandarin sized schools people have to commute to isn't a good thing!

[Jagsdrew]

Agreed 100%. Although it's been done correctly before in Duval, take a look at Lee High School.  Beautiful renovations and additions. 

But there haven't been many renovations done that extensively.

[thelakelander]

^I'd be all for that. I love what happened with Lee but that was in Riverside. The schools in less affluent and politically influential Westside and Northside neighborhoods haven't turned out so well.

[Jagsdrew]

I can see Kirby-Smith Middle getting the same treatment as Lee since this one through the study was flag as poor condition. (looks just like Lee if not exactly the same)

Some of these schools are coming up to a century old if not already. DCPS shouldn't be surprised about the maintenance/potential construction costs of these aging schools.

The more you consider decommissioning these schools in favor of building new ones outside the core the more long term hidden costs such as adding more buses to the fleet/contract, added traffic/congestion to get to the new school and the devaluing land around the abandon school really can downward spiral and set back a neighborhood for a long time.