Schools in Need

Communities across America want to provide up to date modern school facilities where their children can learn, achieve and develop the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st Century. Unfortunately, there are obstacles.

Every school day an estimated 14 million American children attend deteriorating public schools.

Roofs leak. Ventilation is poor. Heating and air conditioning systems do not maintain reasonable temperatures. Lighting is inadequate. Plumbing is a constant problem. Entire schools do not meet basic local and State codes for health and safety.

Of the existing 80,000 schools at least one-third are in need of extensive repair or replacement. At least two-thirds have troublesome environmental conditions: the presence of asbestos, lead in water and paint, leaking underground storage tanks and radon, or they lack noise control or physical security.

The average public school building in America in 1998 was forty-two years old and was not designed to meet the demands of current and future technology. Renovation to support technology often requires changes to building structure, such as wiring and electric capacity, air conditioning and ventilation as well as security. A major cost in rewiring schools is the need to comply with new regulations on asbestos and necessary environmental management.

Consider these facts:

The nation’s public school districts need $322 billion in new spending to bring school buildings up to modern standards, according to a first-ever state-by-state estimate of the potential cost of school modernization. A research team at the National Education Association asked state education officials to give their current assessments of what their states need to repair and modernize existing schools. The NEA team found that, nationwide, local public schools need $268 billion for infrastructure and $54 billion to equip their schools with modern technology.
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in 1997 estimated that the cost to bring the nation's public schools up to a basic standard for health, safety and modernization, would be $112 billion.
The U.S. Department of Education estimates that $60 billion will be required to build new schools to meet expanding enrollment. The Department forecasts a 25 per cent increase in public school population by 2006.
The GAO estimates that 30% of rural, 38% of urban and 29% of suburban schools have at least one building needing extensive repair or total replacement.

The disrepair of so many schools has many roots, including changing economic conditions that have left many localities unable to finance school construction bonds and the fact that so many school buildings are nearing the end of their useful lives.

Castroville Elementary Site Work, Re-Roof, and Construction of 2-Story Modular Classrooms

Project Description: This project included the re-roofing of the existing building, improved site work (grading, paving, sports courts) and construction of a 2-story modular classroom building and restroom. Removal of eight portable classrooms and the addition of ten classrooms and two computer labs were constructed. ADA access including an elevator were included in this project. Project Total: $ 3.5M

school exterior

North Monterey County High School
Trellis/Fire Alarm Upgrade

Project Description: The trellis which housed all infrastructure (water, network, electricity) throughout the High School campus was in disrepair due to extensive dry rot, causing a safety hazard for the staff and students. QSCB funding allowed the district to demolish the existing trellis and run all infrastructure underground. The Fire Alarm System was also upgraded and completed as part of this project. Re-Roof, Forum Door replacement and football field drainage/erosion issues were also addressed in the summer of 2012.