By the end of the year, the City of Rijeka is investing €3.2 million in school facilities. Work in Trsat will last nine months, and the gymnasium in Kozala is being renovated after students' health issues.
The City of Rijeka continues its extensive investments in school facilities. After the energy renovation of Turnić Primary School was completed at the end of June 2026, similar work will begin in September at Trsat Primary School. The estimated value of this work is €663,835, and it is expected to last nine months, i.e., until May of next year.
The planned intervention will include thermal insulation of the building's exterior envelope, the ceiling toward the attic, and both flat and pitched roofs. Replacement of exterior joinery and modernization of lighting are also planned. As part of the work, the heating substation will be reconstructed, thermostatic valves and the lightning protection system will be replaced, and a remote energy consumption monitoring system will be installed.
For comparison, similar work at Turnić Primary School, which also included additional construction, electrical, and mechanical works, cost just over €2 million.
The largest portion of additional investments, totaling €244,000, will be directed toward the renovation of the gymnasium at Kozala Primary School. Until September, craft and installation work will be carried out on the floor, ceiling, and walls of the sports hall, as well as the associated sanitary facilities and locker rooms. This work was directly prompted by a recommendation from epidemiologists at the Teaching Institute of Public Health of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, who advised last school year that the gymnasium be taken out of use.
Namely, students experienced dermatological issues after physical education classes. Epidemiologists took samples on several occasions but were unable to determine the exact cause of the skin irritations. Although the school was visited by a pest control service several times, all attempts were unsuccessful. The only thing that was definitively established was that it was not bedbugs. It is suspected that the problem was caused by an insect living in the parquet floor, which is why the City of Rijeka decided to carry out a complete renovation of the gymnasium.
In addition to the major projects, work is also being done during the summer on smaller but important interventions in five school buildings. A total of €578,000 has been allocated for these purposes. Two schools, OŠ, SE Belvedere and OŠ "Eugen Kumičić", will receive new heating boilers by the start of the 2026/2027 school year. €119,000 has been allocated for OŠ, SE Belvedere, and €170,000 for OŠ "Eugen Kumičić".
Additionally, at Srdoči Primary School, the basketball structure and floodlights will be repaired with €10,000, while at Škurinje Rijeka Primary School, the outdoor playground's water pipes will be renewed with €35,000.
Overall, by the end of 2026, the City of Rijeka is investing €3.2 million in its school facilities, continuing its ongoing efforts to improve conditions for students and teachers.
