In Chýně, the construction of a cluster school for 810 children is starting, with participation from Hostivice

© Dousek–Zaborsky

Chýně – The construction of a union school for 810 children begins in Chýně near Prague, which will also serve children from Hostivice. This is an investment exceeding one billion crowns. It is expected to be completed by May 2025. The reason for the establishment of the union school is the significant increase in the number of children over the last ten years, and more people are still moving to Chýně. At today's official groundbreaking ceremony, the mayor of Chýně, Anna Chvojková, told journalists.

The costs for the construction and equipment of the school will amount to 1.083 billion, of which approximately 80 percent will be covered by grants, the largest of which will be the contribution from the Ministry of Education. The Central Bohemian Region will also contribute, and a grant from the State Environmental Fund is also being negotiated. The rest will be covered by Chýně and Hostivice, respectively their joint union. The contribution ratio will be two-thirds from Chýně and one-third from Hostivice, which will also mirror the allocated capacity for both towns, which should be sufficient long-term. "Demographic studies have been done," the mayor added.

The new building will include ten specialized classrooms, with kitchens, workshops, an IT classroom, music classrooms, and more. There should also be a sports facility near the school costing approximately 30 million crowns, for which the city is requesting a grant from the National Sports Agency. Next spring, Chýně will announce a competition for the school director, so they can collaborate on the design of the school’s equipment and recruitment of teachers before the construction is completed.

In 2017, the city completed the construction of a school for 540 students because the original building in the center of the village was no longer sufficient in capacity. For the last two years, even the newer school has not been sufficient, and students are also using rented container buildings. The situation in Hostivice is similar, with an increasing number of students.

In the Central Bohemian Region, more elementary schools are also being established, for instance, the one in Ondřejov is expected to be completed next spring, Říčany should sign a contract with the contractor in the coming weeks, for the school of the LOŠBATES union in Louňovice near Prague, suppliers' offers should open at the end of October, and construction is expected to begin in Český Brod in the coming months. In Drahelčice near Prague, companies' offers are currently being evaluated, while a designer has been selected in Mníšek pod Brdy. Preparations are also ongoing for the association of municipalities around Líbeznice called Pod Beckovem or Úvaly near Prague. Kralupy nad Vltavou is also preparing a new elementary school in the building of a former training school.

The need for new schools is driven by the overall increase in the population in Central Bohemia, particularly in municipalities close to Prague. The Czech Republic lacks a system for financing school infrastructure or public infrastructure, the need for which arises as a result of construction. According to Pavel Kaňka from the economic section of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Regional Development should set clear rules for builders regarding their contributions to wastewater treatment plants, social and school infrastructure, for example. Some towns in Central Bohemia, such as Kladno or Slaný, are already cooperating with developers in a similar sense and are entering into agreements with them regarding contributions to infrastructure.