Municipalities - Frankfurt invests one billion euros in school construction
Frankfurt Schools are bursting at the seams and many of them need to be repaired: The city plans to invest one billion Euros in the construction of new educational institutions. "The school construction should become faster, more transparent, and more binding," explained Mayor Mike Josef (SPD) and Sylvia Weber, the educational administrator of the city (SPD), at a press conference.
Thirty percent of Frankfurt students are currently being taught in temporary buildings. In addition, 100 buildings need to be significantly refurbished, Weber said. For the year 2024, 30 schools have already been prioritized and selected for investments - "of which 16 are new construction projects and 14 are in existing buildings". The program aims to create 9,280 new school places in total.
Moreover, the sports offer for students also plays a role: The city plans to build 70 new sports fields in various halls. Within the city administration, 30 new jobs in various departments will be created to support this, according to Josef.
Emergency situation in Frankfurt
The school construction is in an absolute emergency situation, as it was further stated. The number of students is increasing and at the same time, the real estate offer is limited, Weber said. For many years, too little has been invested - this is supposed to change now. With the investment sum of one billion Euros, the situation is supposed to be significantly improved in the next five years.
By 2035, the city wants to be climate neutral - public buildings in Frankfurt are supposed to be climate neutral by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, investments will now also be made in the "energetic enhancement" of schools in the city area.
Mike Joseph, as the mayor of Frankfurt am Main and a member of the SPD, strongly emphasized the necessity of accelerating and increasing the transparency of school construction projects during a press conference. Hesse's Frankfurt schools are facing an emergency situation due to overcrowding and limited real estate, with as much as 30% of students currently learning in temporary buildings. In an attempt to alleviate this crisis, the city's municipality has prioritized investing in 30 schools, with 16 of those being new constructions and 14 refurbishments of existing buildings, aiming to create a total of 9,280 new school places.
