Caribbean National Weekly

Miami-Dade school building program surpasses $500 million mark

By Andrew Karim··2 min read
Miami-Dade school building program surpasses $500 million mark
Key Points(5)
  • Expressing an aura of pride and satisfaction, Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools Alberto Carvalho, recently gave an update of projects being funded by the school district from a General Obligation Bond (GOB) approved by county voters in November 2012.
  • Of these, six are SBE/MBE projects under $1M; The balance of Year-3 is comprised of 37 larger projects.
  • Of those, 13 are in construction, 23 are in design, and the remaining project was commissioned at the March School Board meeting; Eleven Year-4 projects with construction values of $2M or less have been assigned to architect and contractor teams with the majority in design or pre-construction.
  • The remaining 39 projects over $2M require individual solicitations.
  • These consist primarily of playground improvements, roofing, portable removal/site restoration and HVAC installations;

Expressing an aura of pride and satisfaction, Superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools Alberto Carvalho, recently gave an update of projects being funded by the school district from a General Obligation Bond (GOB) approved by county voters in November 2012.

Announcing that projects totaling some $522.7 million have been implemented, Carvalho said “In short order, Miami-Dade County Public Schools has moved quickly but responsibly to deliver on its promise to renovate, remodel and replace schools, expand capacity, enhance safety, and provide improved access to technology to all our students and teachers.….We are proud to demonstrate that the public’s trust in the District is justified.”

In the four years since voters overwhelmingly approved the (GOB, the District has advanced swiftly with a wide range of projects.

The following is an update of the progress being made on projects funded by the $1.2 billion dollar GOB:

As of February 28, 2017, GOB expenditures and contracted work totaled approximately $522.7 million ($87.9 million for technology and $434.8 million for facilities);

Sixty-eight projects were identified for year one of the program, of which 67 have been completed and one is actively in construction;

Of the 54 Year-2 projects under $1M, 47 have been completed and seven are in construction. Additionally, of the nine Year-2 projects between $1M-$2M, eight have been completed and one is in construction;

Of the 16 Year-2 projects over $2M, four have been completed, ten are in construction, one is in bidding and one is in planning;

Of the 17 Year-3 projects under $2M, 5 have been completed, ten are in construction and two are in bidding or design.  Of these, six are SBE/MBE projects under $1M;

The balance of Year-3 is comprised of 37 larger projects.  Of those, 13 are in construction, 23 are in design, and the remaining project was commissioned at the March School Board meeting;

Eleven Year-4 projects with construction values of $2M or less have been assigned to architect and contractor teams with the majority in design or pre-construction. The remaining 39 projects over $2M require individual solicitations.  Of these, six are already in design and one was commissioned at the March School Board meeting;

Twelve Year-5 projects with construction values of $2M or less have been assigned to architect and contractor teams and are currently in scoping;

Out of 255 accelerated small projects, 183 have been completed, 20 are in construction, and the balance is in bidding or design. These consist primarily of playground improvements, roofing, portable removal/site restoration and HVAC installations;

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