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Fresen, Superintendents At Odds Over School Construction Costs

Meredith Geddings
/
Florida House of Representatives

Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, and the Florida Association of District School Superintendents are at odds over whether districts are overspending on school construction.

Last month Fresen presented a report stating school districts have overspent when it comes to school construction. He says districts claim to need construction dollars, when more than a third of projects in the past decade have gone over state spending caps.

“Unemployment is down and wages are low. Construction is down so materials are cheap. All those factors you’d think would be the best years of these cost overruns, are actually the most terrifying," he said at the time.

Orange County Superintendent and FADDS President Barbara Jenkins accuses Fresen of misrepresenting the facts. In a letter sent to Fresen last week, Jenkins says the House analysis doesn’t paint an accurate picture of how schools are constructed and the costs that go into them.

"Florida superintendents have been good stewards of public tax dollars," Jenkins writes. "Any information shared with the public should be complete and accurate."

Fresen dismisses Jenkins' claims, and says he stands by his presentation.

Follow @HatterLynn

Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University and Florida State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master's in Professional Communication. Lynn has been with WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She has worked with several organizations, including Kaiser Health News.  Lynn has also partnered with USC-Annenberg's Center for Child Wellbeing on the nationally acclaimed series "Committed," which explored the prevalence of involuntary commitment use on children.
She serves on the board of RTDNA and the United Way of the Big Bend, with previous service on the board of the First Amendment Foundation of Florida.

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