Broward County Schools Advances Capital Improvement Program

December 3, 2015 2265 Views BlueCrete, Eastern U.S., Health Sciences Building, Moser Pilon Nelson, Niagara Falls justice complex, NVCC, RCG Architects, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The School Board of Broward County, located in Ft. Lauderdale, recently took a significant step in the implementation of it’s $984 million, five-year capital improvement plan. On Nov. 30, the district hired Atlanta-headquartered Heery International to serve as an owner’s representative, helping to manage improvements and renovations throughout the 230-school district.

As owner’s representative, Heery will be responsible for program management on roughly half of the projects identified in the school system’s Safety, Music, Art, Athletics, Renovations and Technology (SMART) initiative. Work will include roofing, building envelope and HVAC replacements, safety and security improvements, and technology upgrades, according to a statement by Heery International. A small number of building additions are also included on the project list.

“We are delighted to begin work with the Broward County Public Schools,” said Rob Chomiak, a senior vice president and Heery’s national director of program management, in a statement. “The School Board is showing a strong commitment to education and ensuring that students in Broward have access to quality school facilities.”

Of the $984 million allocated, $730.4 million will go toward renovation projects and $125.6 million will be dedicated to safety improvements. An additional $80.8 million will be spent on technology, while music and art will receive $39.8 million. Athletic improvements will total $7.4 million. Although the investment is considerable, the $984 million expenditure will address only a third of the nearly $3 billion in needs identified by a recent comprehensive facilities assessment, according to a statement by Broward County School Superintendent Robert Runcie and School Board Chair Donna Korn published in The Sun Sentinel. The first series of bonds were issued in June 2015.

Broward County Public Schools is the sixth largest public school system in the United States and the second largest in the state of Florida. It educates more than 265,000 students and approximately 175,000 adult students across 238 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 104 charter schools.