Robbinsdale to renovate 2 old schools

One of outgoing superintendent Stan Mack's last wishes for his Robbinsdale school district was to score a federal stimulus windfall to replace Lakeview Elementary, in Robbinsdale, and Northport Elementary, in Brooklyn Center.

Those were the only two schools left in the district that hadn't been fixed up.

But the application for school construction stimulus funds was a long shot, and it fell short.

So now it's on to Plan B.

The Robbinsdale school board this week approved $32.7 million to bring the two aging elementary schools up to snuff. The process will be slow in an effort to stretch out the costs and the annual burden to taxpayers, who will pick up much of the tab.

Work at Lakeview will begin in the summer of 2012 and stretch out three years. Northport renovation will start in mid-2011 and last six years. Another reason for the drawn-out schedule is that it will allow the work to occur during the summers, minimizing disruptions during the school year.

Building new schools would cost a combined $41.1 million -- $22.1 million to replace Northport and $19 million for Lakeview -- and would require voter approval.

Jim Gerber, Robbinsdale director of facilities, said what needs fixing are not the kinds of things that would jump out.

"They have some appearance issues," said Gerber. "But most of the work are things people wouldn't immediately see. ... A large part of it is the ventilation and heating systems that are not immediately apparent to people."

One thing the renovation work will do is circulate more air in the schools. That, Gerber said, will make it easier to warm them to comfort zone temperatures in the winter and cool them in the spring through early fall. The new systems also will be quieter than the current, distractingly noisy ones.

Repair list is long

Also, roofs and floor tiles at both buildings need replacing, and door and window maintenance work needs to be done. District officials say improvements are also slated for school walls, ceilings and parking lots.

"Curriculum materials are different from what they were 40 years ago," she said. "We have a lot more things."

Patrick Smith, principal of Northport, looks forward to replacing the school's ancient carpeting and dim lighting. Plus, both buildings will get air conditioning, which will provide a relief at both ends of the school year.

Both Rens and Smith say some of the impact will be psychological; the kids will get pumped to see that their schools are getting some long-overdue attention.

Said Rens: "I want students to feel that they are valued, and they have a building they are proud to come to, and to think, 'I deserve a beautiful place to be at and learn in just as much as anybody else.' "