BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Broward County School Board is nearly broke, which is one reason superintendent Robert Runcie is pushing hard for an $800 million bond issue from voters in November. The board is experimenting more than ever with renovating crumbling portable classrooms.
Portable classrooms in Broward are 20 years old, not code compliant and crumbling, but that didn't stop the school district from sinking $65,000 into a new concrete floor at Cypress Bay High School.
"We've never done this before. We've never done this for the entire district," said Broward chief facilities officer Derek Messier. "This is the only steel and concrete floor we have of the 50 portables we have here."
It's the first time the board has undertaken such a costly project and it is currently about $20,000 over budget, something Runcie, who is touting an $800 million bond issue, said has happened too often.
"In many cases we've had estimates to do certain projects that may not have had the total cost associated when they were low estimates," said Runcie. "It's not a good idea, generally, but because we don't have the money, we have to put money into these portables. That's just a fact."
Cypress Bay is critically overcrowded but assistant principal Jeff Nelson admitted there are other empty portables at the school, making the necessity for the costly job suspect.
"If there are other available portables why do you need this one so bad?" asked Local 10's Bob Norman.
"Any time you have potentially one or two portables available as alternative classroom placement sites, we're fortunate to have that," said Nelson.
Runcie said the public should have faith in the plans and in the bond.
"We have new leadership, new process and new structure in facilities. We did a needs assessment. We've identified we'll have a bond oversight committee that will make sure we execute as promised," said Runcie.
Runcie said that if the bond passes portable classrooms across Broward will be replaced with permanent classroom additions.