Vt. schools face challenges funding construction
-- Alexei Rubenstein, WCAX.com

Vermont: May 15, 2013 -- Rumney Memorial School, with its idyllic setting in the hills of Middlesex, appears neat and tidy at first glance. "It's been painted, but it's nonetheless-- it's worn and it's got some rot," Principal Adam Rosen said. But on closer inspection there's a backlog of work on the 1961-era building. "The original part of the building from 1961, the big wooden beams that support the roof have actually been downgraded and we've seen some deflection under the snow load and they need to be reinforced," Rosen said. From inadequate support beams to a tiny kitchen that was never designed to cook food. Of the 400 plus schools across Vermont, it's a prime example of the aging infrastructure of some schools. "A lot of the building stock is quite old, built post World War II, you know '50s, '60s, and even the buildings built in the '90s. You know over 20 years or so, you need to do work on your school, just like you do work on your house," said David Epstein of TruexCullins Architects. But since 2007, when the Legislature suspended school construction aid, individual communities have had to shoulder the financial burden. The $4.5 million Middlesex bond measure that failed Tuesday would have meant a property tax increase for some upward of $300. Despite what is normally strong support for the school, voters said no by a 230-168 margin. "With the economy the ways it's been the last few years, people are just concerned about the uncertainty of things economically," said Dexter Lefavour, who opposed the bond. East Montpelier residents went through the same exercise last spring, rejecting a $10 million school construction bond before they approved a scaled-down version. State education officials say despite the absence of state aid, a handful of renovation projects have gone forward and that communities are doing their best to maintain their schools. But it hasn't been without its challenges.

Cardozo High School renovations coming along, looking nice
-- Staff Writer, New Columbia Heights Blog

District of Columbia: May 15, 2013 -- Cardozo High School, located at 13th and Clifton, is getting a bit of a facelift -- they're renovating the building's interior and the facade, which includes some nice artwork and tiles, updating the physical plant (which I'm guessing is heating and cooling, plumbing and such) plus adding a new regulation size gym on the 13th Street side. The school, which was built in 1928, has two small and inadequate gyms for boys and girls, now they'll have a bigger, coed one. There's also an option to add a swimming pool ("natatorium") on the 11th Street side. The idea is that the new addition will fit into the existing architecture and will be built into the hillside so views are preserved from the top of the hill. There will be a parking lot on top of it. And so far, it looks pretty nice. My buddy snapped this picture the other day, and mentioned that the view isn't as open as before -- it's a prime fireworks watching spot, but I'm sure the parking lot will still be one. The architectural style is virtually identical as the rest of the building, which is cool. You can see below for more details on the plan. I'm not sure when the school is supposed to reopen, but I heard 18 months from when it began and students are currently going to class in what was Meyer Elementary School on 11th nearby, which is renamed Cardozo High School at Meyer.

Fairfax County School Board delays review of renovations process
-- T. Rees Shapiro, Washington Post

Virginia: May 14, 2013 -- The Fairfax County School Board decided Monday to postpone a review of the district’s criteria for school renovations. The board opted to delay the review of the so-called renovations queue until November, after the new superintendent, Karen Garza, begins her tenure. Board members and school administrators said many school buildings are badly in need of renovation, but that the district lacked the funding to begin the projects. There are 63 schools due for renovation in the current queue.

Richmond School Board again debates closing schools
-- ZACHARY REID, Richmond Times Dispatch

Virginia: May 14, 2013 -- The talk of closing schools in Richmond is back on — and there’s a third school on the list. On a 5-4 vote during a heated Monday work session, the Richmond School Board agreed to begin a process the prevailing side hopes will lead to the closure of Clark Springs Elementary School, the Adult Career Development Center and the old Norrell Elementary building, which currently houses a preschool center. The plan also calls for reopening part of the open enrollment process and beginning a citywide communication blitz to let people know what’s happening. A second motion to close four other schools — Carver, Fisher, Fox and Ginter Park elementary schools — failed on a vote of 5-4. The contentious idea of bringing back the topic started when the board voted 6-3 to rescind an April 22 vote to not close any schools next year. The change in course came on a motion by Kristen N. Larson of the 4th District, who voted in favor of waiting in April but agreed to a new process that will still lead to closing schools.

Broward superintendent proposes outsourcing facilities department
-- Michael Vasquez, Miami Herald

Florida: May 14, 2013 -- Arguing that its expertise and focus is the education business — and not the construction business — Broward’s school district is considering outsourcing much of its long-troubled facilities department. The proposal, in which about 40 of the department’s 65 jobs would be eliminated, is being pushed by Superintendent Robert Runcie, and comes at a time when Broward’s school-building activities have largely dried up under state budget cuts and the steady loss of students to competing charter schools. With fewer students and less money to work with, some big changes are called for, Runcie argues. There’s also the problem of the district’s poor past performance in managing construction and renovation projects. The district for years has been plagued by over-budget projects, delayed projects, and overall waste of taxpayer dollars. At the same time, the facilities department has played a key role in some of Broward’s biggest corruption scandals. In 2009, for example, former School Board member Beverly Gallagher was arrested on bribery charges for accepting $12,500 in exchange for helping contractors (who were really undercover agents) land a piece of construction work. In presenting his privatization plan to School Board members on Tuesday, Runcie said, “The cost of not doing this is projects being delayed, over budget, mishandled.” Runcie said the overhaul will allow the district to spend its construction dollars more efficiently “and improve public trust at the same time.” School Board members, who were meeting in a non-voting workshop, didn’t formally approve the changes, though many of them seemed inclined to support it. “We cannot continue to do what we’ve been doing,” said board member Rosalind Osgood. In the roughly six months since she’s been elected, Osgood said she’s struggled to get timely answers from the facilities department.