M-DCPS exceeds all construction targets

MIAMI – Miami-Dade County Public Schools has exceeded all of its construction targets for 2005-2006 and is well underway toward eliminating overcrowding in schools by 2010, according to a revised Five-Year Capital Plan approved at Wednesday’s School Board meeting.

Based on the work to be completed under the original Five-Year Plan covering 2005 through 2010, the District does not anticipate having to build new schools or additions in 2011 to address overcrowding, the new plan shows. That is a drastic departure from a deficit of about 40,000 student seats present when the District wrote the 2005-2010 plan.

A comparison of targets and accomplishments for FY2005-2006 shows that the District accomplished close to one and a half years of productive work in one year’s time:

$855 million worth of new construction awarded, $255 million more than targeted
20,476 new student seats, 1,476 more than planned
69 new construction projects underway, 14 more than expected
289 projects underway at existing schools, 111 more than planned

In 2005 and 2006, most of the new student seats came as a result of additions at existing campuses. From this point forward, however, most new student seats will be delivered primarily through the construction of new prototype schools and through the delivery of smaller schools, some in unconventional ways such as retrofitting leased commercial space in urban areas.

Nearly 50,000 new student stations and more than 20 new schools are projected for 2007 and 2008. By 2010, the District will be “built out,” meaning that there will be no overcrowding, no portable buildings, and all existing buildings will be refurbished. The Five-Year Capital Plan projects an expenditure of $3.4 billion, two-thirds of which will go to new construction, with the balance going towards improving existing facilities.

In other construction news, the District awarded contracts for the construction of five facilities: three prototype middle schools, one prototype senior high school, and the conversion of an elementary school to a K-8 center.

State School “MM-1” will be located at N.W. 92nd Ave. and 119th St. and will relieve José Martí and Henry H. Filer middle schools. State School “UU-1” will be located at S.W. 26th St. and 152nd Ave. and will relieve Paul W. Bell, W.R. Thomas and Howard A. Doolin middle schools. State School “PP-1” will relieve Norland and Parkway middle schools and will be located at N.E. 207th St. and 2nd Ave. All three projects are expected to be completed within 574 days from the Notice to Proceed. The cost of these projects is $103.4 million.

Barbara Goleman Senior High School will see some relief in the form of a new multi-story senior high school that will be located at the intersection of Hialeah Gardens Blvd. and State Road 25. State School “JJJ” will house 2,844 student stations on a 56-acre site. The $75.7 million project should be completed within 910 days from the Notice to Proceed.

The K-8 conversion of Devon Aire Elementary School is a $23.3 million project that will provide a new three-story modular classroom building that will include the following: 711 student stations, a 3,073-sq.-ft. media center, and a 1,125-sq.-ft. administration area. A separate building will house a full-size kitchen, dining area with stage, and 60-student-station art and music classrooms. Other additions include a PE shelter, playground, and new drop-offs.