Cost of new Iisaku school building nearly doubles
The cost of building a new school for Iisaku Basic School in Alutaguse municipality has risen far beyond initial plans. The opposition is unhappy with how the process has been handled and intends to file a no‑confidence motion against the mayor.
Originally, most of the funding was to come from the state, which supported the municipality after it closed Iisaku's high school level. During the process, the scope of construction expanded and the price nearly doubled from the initial €6.8 million. For the municipality, this means contributing around €6 million, most of which will be covered by loans. Municipal leaders say they are confident the municipality can manage the debt.
"It was a simple choice: either accept the state support and build, even if our share becomes larger than planned, or not build. I'm glad the council decided to take the support and complete the school building as planned. I think it's a forward‑looking and correct decision for Alutaguse municipality," said Mayor Tauno Võhmar.
The opposition says several mistakes were made in the process.
"We were not shown the new budget strategy, nor was there a supplementary budget. The mayor had no right to enter a procurement with a much larger construction volume without council approval. The opposition will move forward with a no‑confidence motion because we do not trust this mayor and do not approve of this behavior," said opposition representative Annely Oone.
Iisaku Basic School currently has around 100 students. The new school building is expected to be completed next autumn and is designed for 135 students.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Argo Ideon
