The CPI Zaragoza Sur works become more expensive by more than 200,000 euros

The detection of problems in the foundation requires modifying the contract, but this "will not affect the deadlines" of the Secondary classrooms

The works in the Secondary classroom of the Sur school in Zaragoza, a few weeks ago. / LAURA THRIVES

Ana Lahoz

Saragossa 21 APR 2025 7:00

The construction works of 12 Secondary units at the Zaragoza Sur integrated public school in the Aragonese capital, in the Rosales del Canal neighborhood, are going to increase in cost by more than 200,000 euros after problems were detected in the foundation system.

Specifically, the cost will increase by 186,948 euros plus VAT, according to sources from the Department of Education . In August of last year, the work to convert the school into an integrated school was awarded for 6,633,117.15 euros, 21% VAT included, to the company Construcciones Mariano López Navarro, which has been working on the land for months.

In fact, the structures are up and the works in progress are visible because there are numerous scaffolding in the area. To those 6.6 million we will now have to add more than 200,000 euros for the modified contract.

Prefabricated classrooms

This circumstance, detected a few months ago, "will not affect the deadlines" of the classroom works , they say from Education. "The provisional continuation of the works was already ordered on December 27, 2024 and the drafting of the modified version was completed afterwards," they add.

The expected period of execution of the work from the moment it begins is 15 months. Thus, the forecast for its "partial" implementation for the school year . At this time, as announced, they want to open a total of 10 secondary multipurpose classrooms, patio, track and adaptation of the porch.

The problem in the Zaragoza Sur foundation is part of "circumstances that a diligent buyer could not foresee", as explained in the advertisement. That is to say, the Mariano López Navarro company could not count on it and that is why now, unexpectedly, the contract has had to be modified to remedy the situation.

The CPI Zaragoza Sur, located at Antonio Vivaldi Street, number 7, in Zaragoza, was created in 2018 by transforming the old Zaragoza Sur Early Childhood and Primary Education School. The school is a three-way center and has seven ESO groups, which teach their classes in prefabricated classrooms as the Secondary infrastructure has not been built.

This situation led families last year to call a protest at the doors of the Zaragoza center to demand speed in the construction of more spaces. "To comply with the need for quality education, the construction of 12 secondary units is necessary at the CPI Zaragoza Sur in Zaragoza for their commissioning in the 2025-2026 school year," Education justified at the time when it gave the green light to the awarding of the works.