Castiglione Schools Face Classroom Shortage Amid Ongoing Infrastructure Delays
In recent days, the teachers’ board of the “Francesco Gonzaga”, together with the school principal, Serafino Massoni, has issued yet another plea for help due to the shortage of classrooms. There are 32 classes across the Scientific High School, Classic High School, and Accounting School, and next year at least one more is expected. The space emergency is therefore worsening.
Already Initiated Measures and Logistical Issues
Although Province and Municipality have already funded a new 700-seat auditorium, also because the assembly hall was removed to make room for the ITC, they are still dealing with logistical emergencies.
“This situation,” reads the teachers’ resolution, “not only makes it difficult to carry out the usual school activities but also affects the free exercise of students’ right to assembly.” In this regard, the teachers’ board has deemed the gymnasium unsuitable for student meetings.
Transfers and Temporary Facilities
For now, students will move to the Zekyr Cinema, with rent paid by the municipality, despite surveillance issues during the transfer from via Leonardo da Vinci to the screening room. Naturally, this inconvenience will be resolved once the auditorium, already funded and with a winning contractor selected, is built.
Much longer timelines are expected for a satellite structure that would host additional classrooms and laboratories, which would require more than one billion euros. In this case, the cost would be borne by the Province, which has allocated 900 million euros in the three-year budget, intended for connecting the future assembly hall with the existing building.
Future Plans and Discussions
“The Municipality will send a clear signal by including several hundred million euros in the multi-year plan,” explains Councillor Bertoli. “Higher education building projects are a provincial responsibility, but as we have demonstrated over these years, we will do our part.”
In the immediate future, it will still be difficult to plan building interventions, so the “Gonzaga” will have to make use of all potentially available internal spaces. Moreover, in mid-November, the provincial council led by President Fontanili will arrive in Castiglione, providing an opportunity to discuss the matter.
