Return to Headlines
The problems with Memorial School are not going away. The District needs to provide a safe, healthy, and functional building for students. The District also acknowledges that sinking precious taxpayer dollars into a failing building is a poor use of resources.
- Existing Building is substandard and past its useful life
- Cost escalation is a significant factor, with construction costs escalating at 5 to 6% per year:
- Yet to be addressed needs identified in 2013 Habeeb Report include
- ADA compliance issues
- Asbestos and lead pain mitigation
- Roof replacement
- Inefficient, single-paned glass replacement
- HVAC systems
- Electrical infrastructure
- Estimated Cost of Addressing Current Needs is $10m
- 10 years from now, could cost up to $15.6 million
- Individually, these items exceed operating budget (annual) funding capacity
- These fixes unlikely to generate a ‘pay back’/ROI, given limited potential remaining lifespan of current building
- These fixes are temporary solutions and still require building replacement
Threats don’t work, but MERSD has provided a list of risks and vulnerabilities in the Memorial School building and where systems may fail in the coming years. The Habeeb estimates date back to 2013 and have been adjusted to today’s costs:
