Edmonton public schools to undergo most detailed building audit in history

The Edmonton Public School Board (EPSB) will soon be conducting building audits of its schools, and a spokesperson said it will be the most comprehensive and detailed audit ever undertaken by the school board.

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A request for proposal (RFP) was recently issued to examine the structural integrity and conditions of each of the 153 schools, essentially providing the school board with a snapshot of the current state of its buildings.

The work includes looking into repairs, refurbishment and upgrades required to bring each school to a “serviceable function with additional major work for the next 40 years.”

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The audit would involve evaluating roofs, floors, doors, windows, foundations, life and health safety systems, HVAC systems, fire alarm systems, and landscaping. It will also include a review of the building code, barrier-free design and fire code in relation to each school in addition to City of Edmonton zoning bylaws in relation to on-site bicycle and vehicle parking, drop-off and disabled parking.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure all our students have access to 21^st century learning environments,” said spokesperson Raquel Maurier.

“The district wants to get some baseline data about the condition of all our buildings, to find out what will be required, and what the costs will be, to bring our schools up to this level.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The district wants to get some baseline data about the condition of all our buildings, to find out what will be required, and what the costs will be, to bring our schools up to this level."

The report states it is not reviewing the buildings for their ability to meet learning practices.

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“A separate review of the building with the EPS stakeholders will be required to determine the best solutions to meet program and pedagogical requirements and is not part of this scope of services,” the RFP reads.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "A separate review of the building with the EPS stakeholders will be required to determine the best solutions to meet program and pedagogical requirements and is not part of this scope of services," the RFP reads.

Each building audit report will include estimates of the costs to repair, restore, refurbish and upgrade the schools. The budget for the district-wide audit is approximately $1 million.

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Maurier said the results of the audit will be shared with the board of trustees along with Alberta Education and Alberta Infrastructure.

Work on the school audits is expected to start in December, with a final report due by June 2017.