Why are some Broward schools in desperate need of repairs?
MIAMI - In Broward County, some district schools desperately need repairs nearly a decade after taxpayers funded a bond program to address infrastructure needs.
CBS News Miami visited Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach after a video showed rain pouring through covered walkways and drainage pipes failing to funnel rushing water.
"We don't have the luxury of sitting back and believing that our school board is going to do what they need to," said Kimberly Mohorne, a frustrated parent whose son attends Blanche Ely. The Tigers' home is one of many Broward schools needing millions to fund repairs.
"Everything was a problem from the underfunding to start with," said Dr. Nathalie Lynch-Walsh, who serves as the Broward Schools Facilities Task Force Chair.
She provided a May 2014 document detailing facility conditions and probable repair costs. Among those documents, photos show blistered roofs and drainage issues at various schools, including Northeast High. At Pasadena Lakes -- the problems included roofing and mechanical system issues.
Preliminary estimates projected more than $2.9 billion needed to make all the repairs – in five years. However, the district only asked for and received $800 million in the voted-upon SMART program in 2014.
"They needed about $3 billion to do all of the deferred maintenance and all of the renovations and any school replacements," added Lynch-Walsh. "The $800 million was never enough to do the $800 million worth of work that the bond said it was doing in part, mainly because the roofing estimates that formed the budgets were based on roof repairs instead of roof replacements."
The cost-cutting came at the expense of schools like Markham Elementary in Pompano Beach, whose students and staff were forced to grapple during the last five years with leaky roofs.
A 2022 picture provided to CBS News Miami showed a tree protruding through the building, one now vacant and scheduled to be replaced entirely.
Board member Nora Rupert discussed the SMART bond program at a workshop on Aug. 22.
"I wasn't for the bond 12 years ago because of one question and one question alone: What's your implementation plan?"
Markham Elementary resides in Broward School board member Nora Rupert's district. She felt the original plan lacked a priority list, oversight, or strategy on how and when to address school repairs.
CBS News Miami's Joe Gorchow asked Rupert, "We're fast-forwarding nine years later, were your fears realized?"
"Yes," responded Rupert.
"Every single one of them?" replied Gorchow.
"Yes, my district, the worst," exclaimed Rupert.
Schools in District 7, which Rupert represents, like Margate Middle, still have restrooms that have not been renovated in decades.
"The [original] budget was not informed by equity, which it's supposed to be because of this 2000 lawsuit settled by the district," Lynch-Walsh said. "What I mean by that is there are district aspects, there are state requirements for educational facilities that should be driving the space and the size of the space and what goes into the space. And at least at Markham, we just found that they were making the classrooms too small so that they could fit this budget."
CBS News Miami conducted an independent study to examine the district's recent facility investment. Our findings show the district budgeting more dollars to spend fixing schools with a higher percentage of low-income kids. This second chart reveals the district spending far fewer district dollars on finished repair projects at those same schools.
"Always say Lauderhill is the stepchild of Broward County," said lifelong Lauderhill resident Robert Crum.
Crum hopes to inspire change with something simple like a fresh coat of paint. We met him at Broward Estates Elementary, using cheerful colors to brighten the exterior.
"Often, we don't realize that the environment really helps with mental health or how the kids feel," said Crum.
He helps lead a local non-profit, "Only the Beginning." His mission is to initiate projects to support underserved schools' basic needs.
"We have kids that have hardship at home," stressed Crum. "So having them to come to the school, that's a world of art and life, has them just really thinking about things on a higher and more positive level."
While visiting with Crum, I looked up at the covered walkways only to see exposed nails.
"Inappropriate. Inappropriate. Absolutely," emphasized Torey Alston, the District 2 Broward School Board member.
After a grand jury report found mismanagement of the Smart Bond Program, Torey Alston landed on the Broward School Board last August. The report outlined project delays and cost increases.
"Priorities from the district and the prior boards, they have put resources, probably in areas that didn't need it," said Alston.
Crum pointed us to another school that does, Broward Estate's neighbor, Parkway Middle. Part of it looks like an abandoned property.
"We were pointing out that we had mold in the buildings, and we have some other things going on," said Crum.
It's currently vacant and received funding last school year for building replacement.
"I'm talking about decades, and it's finally starting to come to life, but we will only get the new building in 2028," said Crum.
"I've worked in the private sector," said Alston. "I've been around the government. I've been a chief of staff at the Florida Department of Transportation. It doesn't take five years to build a school."
At Blanche Ely, renovations to the gym took over two years to complete and were finished by 2022. One year later, we saw paint peeling off walls by fans. Caution tape blocked access to unfinished locker rooms, and there was damage to walls and the walkway by the entry door.
"This is the work we get, and we're supposed to be OK with that," asked Mohorne.
Gorchow quickly asked, "Is it fair?"
"We shouldn't have to continue to fight for something that our tax dollars pay for," Mohorne said.
Upcoming report: CBS News Miami looks at why and how Broward schools spent its bond money and why some district leaders feel it became a funding battle between the East and West sides of the county.
