Eutin under austerity pressure: school campus is a long way off!

Eutin under austerity pressure: school campus is a long way off!

The situation surrounding the schools in Eutin is tense and characterized by financial constraints. The school at Kleiner See is in a worrying condition, which is a cause for concern for parents and city officials. A parent representative asked at a meeting whether there was progress in implementing the planned school campus. This was actually supposed to combine the locations of the Gustav Peters primary school, but implementation is a long way off due to cost reasons. LN online reports that the city of Eutin has to adhere to strict austerity measures, which puts a considerable strain on school planning.

The city council decided to plan the elementary school at Kleiner See in two steps. The first step provides for a replacement building for the Gustav Peters School branch, which will also include a three-field sports hall and support centers. The main location at the Blaue Lehmkuhle will continue to be used for the time being. At the same time, the administration is commissioned to determine the expected costs and budget burdens for the coming years. With regard to the Wilhelm Wisser School on Elisabethstrasse, demolition costs for the gymnasium and pavilions as well as extension and container options are to be examined. SHZ informed about the fact that the second supplementary budget has already earmarked 630,000 euros for a possible purchase of property at Elisabethstrasse 53.

Financial framework and priorities

The new school building projects are suffering from a tense financial situation, which the Interior Ministry considers to be worrying. The city of Eutin's debt is around 70 million euros, which corresponds to around 4,100 euros per resident. Financing energy planning, which requires borrowing of 57 million euros, as well as investing 15 million euros in a new commercial area are currently top priorities. The city's budget also has to be controlled by approving loans, which increasingly pushes school projects to the sidelines.

Emotions are running high in the Eutin school committee, especially with regard to the city's priorities regarding the new school building. CDU parliamentary group leader Matthias Rachfahl has expressed concerns that new school building projects are at risk due to budget dynamics that have changed dramatically in recent months. He highlights the lack of information for the public and calls for better communication about current developments. The CDU sees the plan to invest 45 million euros in the new school building as currently not feasible.

In addition, Sonja Wirges from the Free Voters warned of the danger that the schools would be played off against each other. Monika Obieray from the Greens calls for local politicians to be given clear responsibility to find solutions to the school problem. An overall concept for new buildings, expansions or renovations of the schools is expected until the final decision is made.