Schools hit with soaring repair costs

It’s getting a lot more expensive to fix Broward County’s decaying schools.

Huge cost overruns in the district’s renovation program, funded mostly with an $800 million bond referendum approved by voters in 2014, are being blamed on delays, inflation and a high demand for construction workers.

It has led to questions about whether there will be enough money for all 230 schools in the program.

On Tuesday, the School Board will be asked to approve giant cost increases for major roofing and air conditioning work at two of the county’s oldest and most decaying schools. The price tag for Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale has climbed 82 percent, from $16.8 million to $30.5 million. The costs at Northeast High in Oakland Park has more than doubled, from $14.5 million to $31.4 million.

They’re the latest in recent price increases.

At Blanche Ely High in Pompano Beach, the costs to replace air conditioning, make the gymnasium accessible to the disabled and make other major building upgrades have increased from $14.8 million to $22.1 million, a nearly 50 percent increase.

The cost of replacing 61 portable classrooms at Cypress Bay High in Weston with a permanent building has doubled, from $9.3 million to $19.2 million.

Prices increased at four schools string of