Leipzig's renovation backlog: 700 million euros on the brink!

Aktuelle Entwicklungen zur Paunsdorfer Oberschule: Sanierung, Schulbauprogramm und kreative Initiativen in Leipzig.
Current developments in the Paunsdorf secondary school: renovation, school building program and creative initiatives in Leipzig. (Symbolbild/ML)

Leipzig's renovation backlog: 700 million euros on the brink!

Paunsdorf, Deutschland - in Leipzig are currently numerous school construction projects that are promoted despite financial challenges. Especially in recent years, the city has been trying to renovate and new schools to do justice to the increasing number of students. According to lvz , the efforts have already shown positive effects, even if the financial means are limited.

2022 an “Sofortbau Program” was launched over 150 million euros to improve the structural condition of the schools. From this year, around 200 million euros will be invested in the school building annually, with 187 million euros already being earmarked for 2023. Nevertheless, the overall financial situation remains tense, and the state directorate has not yet approved the draft budget for 2025/26. A sharper austerity course is required what could endanger the implementation of future projects.

Current school construction projects

Other important projects are the Löbauer Straße primary school, which is being renovated for 13.8 million euros, and the Felix Bloch School, in which a renovation is being prepared for 5.86 million euros. The construction of the elementary school on the Parthe with a budget of 30.4 million euros should be completed in October 2026.

Additional challenges and solutions

The city has invested a total of 500 million euros in the school building program since 2018. Nevertheless, there are major concerns about the cost crossings that have so far been 107 million euros above the originally planned budget. At the same time, Leipzig plans to invest a total of 723 million euros in new school buildings, conversions and renovations. The cost increases are due to factors such as delivery bottlenecks and technical difficulties, such as the school campus on Ihmelsstraße, the costs of which rose from 29.9 to 35 million euros.

A task force "school building" was launched to implement the projects in a timely manner. But the increasing requirements, especially at a time falling births and persistent immigration, demand creative solutions from the city administration. A total of 275 new classrooms have to be created by 2030 to ensure that all children find a place in school.

Overall, school construction in Leipzig is not only a financial, but also a logistical undertaking that continuously monitors and has to be communicated with the necessary transparency to the public. Leipzig has set off on the right track, but the challenge of maintaining this course in the face of tight health insurers remains complex.

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OrtPaunsdorf, Deutschland
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