OIA Funded Insular Schools Facility Assessment Complete --- Work to Improve Facility Conditions Begins

Date: September 3, 2013
For more information please contact:
Jonathan Dunn (202) 219-0614
Jonathan_Dunn@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 3, 2013) – The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) today released an insightful report entitled Inventory and Condition Assessment Phase II Report detailing school facility conditions in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The culmination of over two years of cooperation between OIA, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Helber Hastert & Fee, Planners, local governments and school systems, the report shares findings from the inspection of all 1,576 buildings on 115 K-12 school campuses in the U.S. territories.

Launched in 2011, the Insular Schools: Assessment of Buildings and Classrooms (ABCs) initiative aims to furnish functional and safe schools in creating the best possible learning environment for the 63,385 children enrolled in insular public schools. Information gathered by school inspection teams provides island governments and school systems with valuable insights concerning the physical condition of public school facilities, an accounting of deferred maintenance totaling $177.4 million, estimated facility replacement costs, and identifies trends in maintenance practices and requirements which offer opportunities for efficiencies.

Utilizing information garnered by the school facility assessments, OIA and the other ABCs partners have already begun to coordinate the next phase of the ABCs project: laying the groundwork to expand maintenance capacity in each territory, initiating or building upon school facility capital planning efforts, and prioritizing scarce resources for school maintenance and improvements. The first order priority for the ABCs partners is addressing the $16.7 million in deferred maintenance projects identified in the assessment as health and safety concerns.

A copy of the Inventory and Condition Assessment Phase II Report can be found on OIA’s website: www.doi.gov/oia

Full Report linked here.

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