Several factors impact the cost of building schools today. A smaller labor pool, limited material availability, variable topography, increased state mandates, city and county ordinances, building quality, construction standards, and inflation are all contributing to the cost of every Northside school.

What factors impact the cost of building schools today?

1. Labor Pool

It’s more expensive to build schools in San Antonio than in Dallas or Houston because there are fewer subcontractors and a smaller labor pool here. It’s a matter of supply and demand. Fewer laborers and subcontractors reduce competition and therefore contractors can charge higher prices.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were major world events that had a significant economic impact on the construction industry. As a result, the cost of fuel, concrete, steel, gypsum and roofing material has skyrocketed.

According to a recent article in the San Antonio Express-News, Toyota’s new San Antonio plant cost $1.28 billion to build, about 50 percent more than the $800 million estimate in 2003. Toyota Motor Corp. cites “higher-than-expected expenses for construction materials and labor, due in part to Hurricane Katrina.”

As Northside ISD expands into the Hill Country, the terrain is becoming more of a challenge for school construction. The topography is hilly and rocky, which makes it extremely expensive to level out a section large enough for an elementary, middle or high school.

The hilly and rocky terrain also makes it more difficult for the District to use prototype school designs. Because of the high costs associated with leveling land, schools must be designed to fit the space, not the other way around. Districts in Houston and Dallas can
save thousands of dollars in architectural fees by using similar designs for multiple schools, but unfortunately, it’s rare that Northside has that option.

The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Legislature are continually issuing mandates – usually unfunded – for public school curriculum and construction. For example, a
recent mandate requires that new or updated science labs be more than twice the size of a regular classroom. That translates to bigger schools.

Just recently, the State Board of Education approved new graduation requirements that will require all students to take four years of science to graduate. That means schools will have to build more science labs to accommodate the increase in science classes.

Even though Northside is a publicly-supported entity, it still must comply with city and county regulations. For example, the San Antonio City Council in 2006 approved an updated tree ordinance that requires builders to address any trees that are cut down to accommodate construction. Drainage rules require the construction of water retention ponds, and water quality ponds are required at any school site constructed over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone.

These regulations are necessary to protect the environment and the community, but they also increase the cost of construction.

Schools today are expected to last 100 years and must be constructed with materials that can withstand the use of thousands of students over a long period of time. Northside could build schools for less money by using cheaper materials, but those cost savings would be eaten up by repairs and maintenance.

For example, Northside schools are built with brick, which is more expensive than split-face block. However, schools built with brick are less likely to have problems with water infiltration.

Some construction features may look costly but actually are inexpensive considering the entire price tag of the school. Typically, it’s those items underground and inside the school walls – such as cables and wiring for technology, plumbing and heating and air conditioning systems – that can’t be seen by most visitors that drive up the costs of schools.

It simply costs more to do business and build schools today than it did a decade ago. Every year delayed adds more dollars to the project.