New textbooks may be rare and teacher raises unlikely, but schools are finding an upside to the recession: construction.
As materials and labor costs drop because of a dearth of private-sector demand, public-sector buyers like counties and school districts gladly reap the savings.
Arlington Public Schools saw a 24 percent savings from its original estimate for a new Yorktown High School. Instead of spending $110 million for the construction currently under way, the cost will be closer to $83 million, said Mary Beth Chambers, the district’s associate superintendent for finance.
“Yorktown was a very pleasant surprise, and it means we don’t have to sell as much in bonds,” Chambers said.
In the long run, that means fewer debts and a lesser burden on the county’s taxpayers.
Fairfax County has seen similar patterns, said school board member Jane Strauss. Great Falls Elementary and Edison High School, among other projects, have received construction bids far lower than original estimates.
“In the past year to 18 months, nearly every project has come in under our projections,” Strauss said. “That’s sort of the silver lining of this economy.”
Across the Potomac in Montgomery County, Superintendent Jerry Weast made the case for more construction to the County Council earlier this month, even as budget estimates appear dire for the coming fiscal year.
“I do hope that you see every way you can to hit this window of opportunity,” Weast said, warning that increasing enrollment without new buildings will lead to more of the much-maligned portable classrooms.
Even when the price is right, however, county officials are cautious.
“It’s only a bargain if you can afford it,” said Montgomery County Council President Phil Andrews. But he added that high-school modernization projects — several of which were delayed in 2008 — are a top priority of the council.
“We recognize that it is a good time to build,” Andrews said.
In Alexandria schools, where enrollment has reached a peak not seen since the 1970s, parents have taken on the task of imploring the school board for more and bigger classrooms.
“We feel the need to tell you again we are bursting at the seams,” said Carrie Sullivan, president-elect of George Mason Elementary’s PTA, at a recent school board meeting. “We urge you to find solutions to this squeeze — renovations, additions, and hopefully new construction.”
