Prague 5 announced a tender for a school for 353 million crowns

Prague – The Prague 5 city council has announced a public tender with an estimated value of 353 million crowns for the construction of a primary school, which is to be built on the site of the current special school for children with autism on V Cibulkách Street in Košíře. This was reported by ČTK based on the Public Procurement Bulletin. The city council leadership also plans further investments into education, whose capacity is, according to demographic analyses, insufficient, especially in the Košíře area.

The city district recently agreed with the city hall that it would acquire the premises of the special school in V Cibulkách, where it will build a large school. In exchange, the city council will transfer land near the Nepomucká primary school to the city, where modern facilities for children with autism will be created through the reconstruction of the current wooden pavilion.

The city council is looking for a company to prepare project documentation based on the architectural study and to manage the actual construction. According to earlier statements by Mayor Renáta Zajíčková (ODS), construction could start next year. In the meantime, the city council is seeking temporary facilities to be used until the new school is completed. These should also offer preschool classes, as the city district plans to replace the current two-class nursery in Nasková Street with a facility with five classes, and until then, it will be necessary to place the children somewhere.

According to a demographic forecast commissioned by Prague 5 over two years ago, the population of Prague 5 is expected to increase by 12,000 to 19,000 people by the end of 2030, mainly due to new construction, rising from the current approximately 86,000. There will be a significant increase in the number of children and seniors. Therefore, it will be necessary to secure an additional 1,500 places in primary schools. In addition to the planned school in Košíře, more are to be built in the emerging Smíchov City district and in Barrandov.

Disputes have arisen regarding education at the Prague 5 city hall because Mayor Zajíčková has leased a school building on Plzeňská Street for a private gymnasium that she owns. Critics argue that she should return it to its original purpose as a primary school, and it would not be necessary to spend millions on a new building. The mayor previously stated that considering the demographics, education needs to be addressed by building new facilities. "In a growing city, it logically cannot be a solution to evict children from old buildings in favor of new children, pitting parents against each other and turning it into a tool for fighting over the city hall," she said, adding that the problem would only be postponed.