Submitted by Brian Raney
The Board of Estimation & Taxation Budget Committee did not handle an crucial problem about the Julian Curtiss (JC) renovation integrated in the proposed To start with Selectman’s Spending budget (the Faculties part of which came from the Board of Education) – Is it an successful use of our cash?
In the proposed budget, there are projections for long term several years. Many faculties have whole renovation line goods in the next 15 years. There are also on-heading servicing tasks for the current yr, which include 5-12 months projections, some of which specify which college will be done in a provided yr, eg HVAC at Julian Curtiss in FY2024-2025. This is redundant if a comprehensive renovation comes about, as people same fees are incorporated in the renovation or no for a longer period expected, these kinds of as that JC HVAC get the job done. (Don’t think me? Check out the Venture Info Sheets in the Proposed Cash Budget.)
There are two comprehensive college renovations prepared for the following 5 many years – JC in 2022 and Aged Greenwich (OG) in 2024. Education Technical specs are comprehensive for JC and virtually finished for OG.
There are fears between several about the scope of the Ed Specs for JC and growing room at a faculty that is only at 60% capability. For comparison, OG is at 79%. Even Parkway is at 79%.
In the following 5 decades, JC has about $5.9M in identifiable maintenance charges. OG has about $9.3M The charge of the JC renovation is $26.7M. The expense of the OG renovation is $28.2M. If we do the complete renovation, we save the price tag of the 5-yr routine maintenance. The net charge of the OG renovation would only be $18.9M vs the $20.9M for JC – a discounts of $1.9M.
A different way to search at it is what’s extra cost-effective to sustain for the following 5 many years – JC at $5.9M or OG at $9.3M?
One more evaluate of bang for our buck is how lots of pupils we’re impacting. Even if we take into account the faculty capability instead than enrolled students, it is more affordable on a for each seat basis to do OG.
Central Center College isn’t scheduled for renovation until eventually 2033 but has $21.5M in servicing in the subsequent 5yrs. Which is $10M over any elementary school. Not having to pay twice for that maintenance would be a substantial earn. 2033 is a very long way out but the reviews on the college as it is now are not excellent. BOE has a capital ask for this calendar year to do a detailed report to have an understanding of its issue (which, by the way, undermines even the directional usefulness of the KG+D report). Sadly, there isn’t adequate data to consist of CMS in the determination of which college to renovate next.
We have a whole lot of “maintenance debt” on our educational facilities that is coming owing. Spending $1.9M a lot less will be valuable. In simple fact, that personal savings can be utilized to JC or CMS. Win-earn! Hopefully the complete Guess will talk to the dilemma.
Brian Raney creating exclusively for himself