Do Miami-Dade public schools administrators get a passing grade in improving their crumbling schools?
MIAMI -- The dilapidated nature of the infrastructure for many Miami Beach public school campuses sparked a public outcry last year from parents and students.
Last October, one parent spoke during a Miami Beach Commission meeting, saying: "Since I got involved, I personally witnessed water pouring into the classrooms."
Miami-Dade public schools in disrepair
That led to an investigation by CBS News Miami, where reporter Jim Defede discovered two Miami Beach public schools in need of critical repairs last February.
The report found exposed rebar, cracked walls and leaks at North Beach Elementary. And additional photos and videos revealed floor tiles left in ruin at Feinberg Fischer Elementary.
"The timeliness of addressing these issues through the years could have been much, much better," said Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose Dotres in an interview from that initial report.
CBS News Miami also discussed the shortfalls in fixing schools last year during last year's report.
The investigation found budget cuts and staff reductions contributed to the inadequacy of repairs in the district's nearly 400 public schools.
"I'm probably 35 percent short on staff that I could ideally have," said Raul Perez, chief facilities officer.
Months later, CBS News Miami returned to the district and met with Perez at a school construction site downtown. He explained how fixes get done if Miami-Dade staff needs help on its thousands of open work orders.
"We have a team of private sector partners that we work with when these kind of matters arise," Perez said.
Last summer, the district addressed the critical repairs in Miami Beach. CBS News Miami observed completed work as North Miami Beach's principal pointed out ceilings that no longer leaked.
Same situation at Feinberg Fischer, where a transformation in the now refurbished classroom was evident.
"We went in there, and we addressed it," said Perez. "Reinstalled the new floors and did all the remedial work that needed to be done."
Addressing all building needs district-wide is a moving target.
"I want to be clear that addressing facilities needs is not something that you get done because as soon as you finish a building, the one that you did 10 years ago needs support again," said Luisa Santos, the MDCPS District 9 Board Member.
CBS News Miami met with Santos, who also chairs the Facilities Committee, outside a school in her district, West Homestead K-8 Center.
The campus is one of the latest to spend funds from the voted-upon $1.2 billion general obligation bond program, which was approved in 2012, and how it funds school updates and renovations.
In Castillo's class now, her first graders can now learn in a whole new way thanks to the latest tech advances and audio classroom enhancements in one of the new buildings at that school - improvements funded by the bond program.
Bond program funds repairs to Miami-Dade schools
CBS News Miami dug into the data and found the district did so equitably, budgeting and spending more dollars fixing schools with a higher percentage of low-income kids.
A plan produced by priority and need.
"What needs to be addressed first, and that's the school that needs that, that we go to, and then we move on from there to every other school depending on that, on that priority jumping in," Perez said.
Many schools, like West Homestead K-8 Center, used the project design plans used at other schools to move bond projects along faster.
Perez says it saved nearly a year-per-project and, depending on the project, anywhere from $500,000 to $2 million in design costs.
Other district schools require out-of-the-box plans, like Southside Prep in Brickell.
"It's really an urban facility," Perez said. "Normally, our schools have one or two stories at the most. Here we are in a tight urban area."
Perez toured the construction underway to build a school that's seven stories tall with CBS News Miami. The first flight of stairs takes visitors to a two-level lunch space for students, with elevated stairs to sit and relax.
On the fourth floor, there is a set of traditional classrooms with a shared space in the middle for students to study.
"This is a collaborative space," said CBS News Miami reporter Joe Gorchow, observing the construction space. "This isn't just an empty hallway."
"Colorful furniture," said Perez. "The floor is going to be very active floor."
The new building will be ready by the next school year, and it features an outdoor top floor built for recreation!
And the creativity extends beyond the classroom. The building is mixed-use, providing housing for district employees built by a private developer, not the district.
"Start to tackle and help our employees find some affordable housing," said Perez. "It's a great opportunity."
But when the remaining $273 million in bond funds is exhausted, the board will need to create a budget and a plan to continue to address and fix needs that suddenly arise, like the ones CBS News Miami uncovered in Miami Beach last year.
"We've got a clear demonstrated need of $2.5 billion in deficiencies for students that are attending those schools today," stressed Santos. "Funding is going to be finite and fixed from year to year? Well, so we work all angles, right? We have to get creative."
The district is the county's largest property owner, so using different ways to generate revenue could potentially help fund fixes in the future.
