A new report by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs took a look at school construction spending in the state between 2007 and 2013 and found that secondary schools were more expensive to build than middle or elementary schools, but that costs also varied by year and metro area. Middle and elementary schools averaged $149 per square foot to build while secondary campuses averaged $163 per square foot. But overall, the most expensive schools were opened in 2009 and 2010, “meaning they likely were initiated during the building boom prior to the recession,” the report said. Over the six year period, the Houston area, which accounts for 169 campuses was the least expensive, while the San Antonio area had the highest costs.
Construction didn’t necessarily follow enrollment growth: School districts in the Houston area had 30 percent of statewide enrollment growth, but only 20 percent of the campuses built from 2007 through 2013. The comptroller’s report recommended that the commissioner of education establish data collection and reporting standards for school construction costs and that those stats be reported publicly. Data should include things like total construction cost, cost per square foot and per student so that districts and taxpayers can compare projected construction projects with other districts.