Psáry near Prague have completed an elementary school for 540 children

Psáry (near Prague) – Psáry near Prague have completed an elementary school for 540 children. The construction cost 410 million crowns, most of the expenses were covered by a grant from the Ministry of Education for expanding school capacities in the Prague area. Children will relocate to the new school building from four different facilities where they were learning under unsuitable conditions. The grand opening will be on Tuesday with the participation of Minister of Education Robert Plaga (ANO), but students will first go to the new school on Monday, said Mayor Milan Vácha (for STAN) today.

According to him, the new school is what is known as a passive house, which has a very low energy consumption for heating. "We should be the first large passive school in the country," he stated.

Costs increased compared to the original plans due to rising construction prices. The main grant from the Ministry of Education accounted for almost 240 million, and additionally, the municipality could receive up to 50 million from the State Environmental Fund for meeting the passive standard. About 11 million crowns were promised by the region, and additional grant funds were used to equip specialized classrooms and a laboratory. The rest was covered by the municipality's own sources and part of the money was borrowed.

Psáry has around 4000 inhabitants, compared to 1300 in 1991. The municipality is located southeast of Prague between Jesenice and Jílové in an area where massive construction has taken place in recent years. However, infrastructure and civic amenities have lagged behind the rapid housing development.