Whether repaired or partially rebuilt, fixing this high school will cost over $30M

The Broward County School Board may demolish and rebuild part of a 55-year-old high school in Oakland Park instead of spending more than $30 million to repair it.

The school board has postponed until Tuesday a vote on whether to partially demolish and rebuild the campus of Northeast High School in Oakland Park.

Severe problems with roofing, air conditioning and structural flaws long have plagued Northeast High.

In 2014 referendum, voters approved a bond-financed program to repair public schools in Broward County.

But delayed upgrades to Northeast High and other schools are years behind schedule, and estimated renovation costs have soared.

The cost of repairing Northeast High has soared from the original estimate of $14.5 million to $31.4 million.

School board members are considering three ways to tear down and reconstruct part of the Northeast High campus. All three would be more expensive than repairing the school.

The board has discussed demolishing four buildings and constructing a 24-classroom addition at a cost of $37.4 million.

Board members also have talked about demolishing a fifth building that houses the football locker and weight rooms and moving these facilities to a new building with three classrooms. The cost would be approximately $39 million. [Sun-Sentinel] – Mike Seemuth