"We felt like doing a new high school.
It's been over 40 years since we've had a school (built)."
- Harlan Superintendent Tim Saylor
Cost of Harlan school doubles Materials blamed for $27 million jump
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- State Board of Education members yesterday expressed shock and concern that the price tag of a high school under construction in Harlan County has more than doubled since the original cost estimate.
The 220,000-square-foot high school, which is expected to open at the beginning of the next school year, is now expected to cost $50 million, up from the original $23 million estimate.
"Where I work you can't run a business this way and stay in business, much less employed," said board member Joe Brothers at a board subcommittee meeting yesterday. "The surprise and shock factor of this is really frustrating."
The Harlan County school board estimates it needs about $8 million to $9 million to complete the project, but state school board officials warned not to come looking for a handout.
...A report issued by state Auditor Crit Luallen's office ...raised many questions, including:
Are overruns occurring in other school projects currently under construction?
Would the state legislature have approved $13.6 million in state funding if it had known the project was going to cost $50 million instead of $23 million?
Could Harlan County actually afford a project of that magnitude given its declining enrollment?
...[Former Board] Chairman Keith Travis said the board doesn't know if any of the projects currently under construction across Kentucky -- at a total cost of about $700 million -- are within their original budgets. He said he wouldn't have known about Harlan County's problem had a concerned citizen not brought it to his attention.
This from the Courier-Journal.
No comments:
Post a Comment