TCO Checklist:
Retrofitting

The Cost of Getting Ready to Network

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One cost that will vary widely from school district to school district is the amount that must be spent to wire an existing physical plant. Retrofitting is not traditionally part of Total Cost of Ownership analyses, but it is a cost that school districts frequently face-and sometimes fail to anticipate.

The best time to wire a school is when it is under construction, or in the case of an existing building, when it is being renovated or expanded. Wiring existing schools will involve additional costs, including, in some cases, the cost of asbestos and/or lead removal, new lighting and modifications to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For the purpose of producing a nationwide figure, a study by McKinsey & Company Inc. estimated that 65 percent of American schools were more than 35 years old and had not undergone a major renovation to support technology. The study projected that some of these schools would use wireless technology, but that would not be practical in every case. To wire older schools, the consultants projected it would cost an average of $65,000 per school for asbestos removal and other infrastructure improvements. New schools were assumed to have adequate wiring; schools that were between 5 and 35 years old were assumed to require wiring, but not asbestos removal.

McKinsey also projected that 23 percent of the nation's schools would require an upgrade of their electrical system and another 4 percent, improvements to their heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. It estimated that the average school would spend $240,000 on electrical upgrades and $31,800 on HVAC. It also projected that the average school district would spend $355 per computer on new furniture and $350 per room on security improvements.

A study for the Council of Educational Facility Planners International and based on 30 construction projects in the Midwest found it cost $1,500 per "classroom equivalent" for infrastructure in new construction and $3,000 per "classroom equivalent" in renovation-modernization projects. That cost included one additional 20-amp 100VAC circuit, six empty data box drops and six duplex outlets. Additional electrical service, it said, would cost a minimum of $50,000.

It has been projected that up to 10 percent of the total cost of technology systems and related building modifications could be saved if both initiatives are planned and implemented at the same time.

Districts may also find that they can avoid some of the costs of retrofitting older buildings if they are able to take advantage of wireless solutions. Wireless approaches can also easily extend networks to portable classrooms.