In the midst of the largest school-construction program in the history of Orange County, all public schools will be renovated, replaced or relieved by a new facility by the year 2018. The ongoing construction work is part of the school district’s aggressive $4 billion building program.
“Using money from the half-penny sales tax approved by voters in 2002 and other funding sources we are able to accomplish this enormous task,” said Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Ronald Blocker. “We are renovating or opening an average of 10 schools a year to keep up with growth and improve facilities.”
Due to an unprecedented escalation in building materials and costs in recent years, coupled with class-size limits mandated by the state, the OCPS capital program has been severely impacted. However, as a result of collaborative efforts between the district’s architectural and construction- management partners, significant cost savings have been achieved without sacrificing the quality of classrooms or school facilities, Blocker said.
During the next 10 years the bulk of the building program work will focus on renovating existing schools. Thirty-three projects are currently in planning, design or construction. The renovation work will upgrade existing schools to OCPS school prototype construction standards.
These standards incorporate the latest cost effective state-of-the-art building products, technology and construction techniques and are in compliance with local, state and federal guidelines as to quality, life cycle costs and durability.
“The next decade will be an exciting one as our school district upgrades and builds the next generation of schools to meet the demands of the future,” said OCPS Chief Facilities Officer Bob Proie. “We are making sure what we build today becomes a lasting legacy of our school district’s vision to be the top producer of successful students in the nation.”
