When the municipal board in Uppvidinge in February presented the proposal to sell Älghultsskolan, one of the main arguments was that it would go faster than if the municipality were to build under its own auspices. The hope that the majority then raised was that a new school through the sale could be completed in August 2024.
New date: School to be completed in January 2025
However, the new construction schedule has a new completion date. This is evident from the documents in which the municipality invites companies to bid to buy the school and, after rebuilding, rent it out to the municipality. There is no requirement for the school to be completed in August 2024. Instead, January 2025 is the end date for the project.
However, the delay is not something that makes Robert Fredriksson (SD), chairman of the Children and Education Committee, particularly concerned.
"If we have a six-month delay, that's six well-invested months, rather than rushing something that won't be as good," says Robert Fredriksson.
But in the basis on which the politicians made the decision to sell the school, it says that the difference in time between the two different alternatives – to build in-house or to sell the school – is at least one year. A difference that now seems to be decreasing. But Robert Fredriksson believes that the municipality would have taken even longer than according to the forecast contained in the documents.
"When we compare with other projects, we see that you save about a year by hiring a private actor," he says.
Waiting for a response from the Swedish Work Environment Authority
Earlier this year, Älghultsskolan was condemned by the Swedish Work Environment Authority due to major problems with, among other things, ventilation, moisture damage and mold. According to the decision, the school may not be used after August 1 unless the deficiencies are rectified.
– We are waiting for a decision from the Swedish Work Environment Authority on whether the measures we have taken are sufficient and that message also gives us a direction as to what solutions we need to take. Students, teachers and parents need to be told what it will be like in August 2023, says Robert Fredriksson.