Interesting Stats
I was searching around for information on school construction and found this website.
It had all kinds of interesting information. Here are a few stats of interest:The average according to the National Center for Education Statistics’ Common Core Data for the 2005-06 school year:
- Primary schools – 377 students
- Middle schools – 630 students
- High schools – 1249 students
- Elementary school - 850 students
- Middle School - 1,220 students
- High School - 2,000 students
- Elementary Schools (1-6): 25 students per grade level; total enrollment - 150
- Elementary Schools (1-8): 25 students per grade level; total enrollment - 200
- Middle Schools (5-8): 50 students per grade level; total enrollment - 200
- High Schools (9-12): 75 students per grade; total enrollment - 300
The Council of Educational Facility Planners International indicates that many states use the following site formulas:
Elementary Schools = 10 acres plus 1 acre for every 100 students;
Junior High/ Middle Schools = 20 acres plus 1 acre for every 100 students;
Senior High Schools = 30 acres plus 1 acre for every 100 students
According to American School and University's Education Construction Report and School Planning and Management's School Construction Report the average costs for school construction in 2006 were as follows:
Elementary school
- Cost/ sqft: $137.00, Cost/Student $16,010, Total cost: $9,606,000 (600 students) *
- Cost/ sqft: $148.15, Cost/Student $18,333 Total cost $11,600,000 (700 students) **
Middle school
- Cost/ sqft: $110.00, Cost/Student $21,684, Total cost: $17,347,000 (800 students)*
- Cost/ sqft: $149.79, Cost/Student $21,469, Total cost: $18,000,000 (825 students)**
High school
- / sqft: $169.00, Cost/Student $30,000, Total cost: $30,000,000 (1000 students)*
- Cost/ sqft: $151.52, Cost/Student $26,111, Total cost: $35,000,000 (1200 students)**
Comments
I got the feeling that thats how the Board felt at the work session. We are all professionals and nobody wants to question anyone, unless it's teachers and activists that is.
As you can see from the stats, our costs to build are quite a bit higher than elsewhere. Even when you go to contractors' websites, like Heery who did Roosevelt, you can find examples of their work in other places in the Puget Sound area for a lot less.
Looking at the Heery site, I found something interesting about Charleston:
"Charleston County School District
Building Success for Children
Charleston, South Carolina
The Charleston County School District engaged more than 13,000 community members at over 450 meetings and open houses to assess building conditions and to develop a plan for the expansion and renovations of their schools. This community-driven assessment, known locally as Building Success for Children, involved six steps: orientation meetings, community surveys, technical surveys, community meetings to review results and determine critical needs, planning sessions to design each school’s future campus plan, and a final round of public meetings to examine improvement plans.
The final plan was presented and approved by the Charleston County Board of Education. Local voters later passed a $175 million bond referendum. Results from the assessments were used to determine fund allocations and construction and renovation needs.
Heery is currently providing comprehensive program management services for the 2005 – 2009 building program involving constructing five new facilities, renovating two facilities and managing two advance designs in two constituent districts. The value of this assignment is $245.9 million."
Charleston County School District engaged more than 13,000 community members at over 450 meetings and open houses? Talk about public engagement! You'd think Dr. G-J would be a bit more understanding about the Denny/Sealth dilemma.
....You'd think Dr. G-J would be a bit more understanding about the Denny/Sealth dilemma.
I might hope so ..... but I certainly would not think so.
Dan
BTW, $200 per square foot sounds about right, not too high and not too low for most urban markets, but ask your local contractors that do comparable work. They can best tell you if there is too much waste or fluff or not for the Seattle area.