More than 110 million euros to renovate nine colleges in Seine-Saint-Denis

Nine first colleges renovated and 525 places created. On the occasion of the opening, last Friday, of the exhibition “Colleges in Seine-Saint-Denis, a common heritage”, at the Departmental Archives of Bobigny, the president of the departmental council, Stéphane Troussel (PS), announced the implementation of the “eco-college plan”. Voted in November 2020, this multi-year plan (2021-2030) of one billion euros provides for the construction of eight new colleges, the renovation of 43 establishments and the creation of 7,000 places.

“The priority to be undertaken is that of renovations-extensions because we have significant demographic needs”, declared Stéphane Troussel. The places thus created will be created thanks to the reconstruction of the Pierre-Brossolette college, in Bondy, and the renovations-extensions of three colleges: Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry in Noisy-le-Grand, Jean-Jaurès in Montfermeil and Albert- Camus at Rosny-sous-Bois.

Reconstructions, renovations and consultations

Second priority of this multi-year plan: ecological transition. “It is with modern, adapted, quality colleges that we prepare the future of this department and its young inhabitants”, estimates the one who was re-elected at the head of the department last June.

Five colleges will benefit from thermal renovations: Jean-Zay in Bondy, Pablo-Neruda in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Langevin-Wallon in Rosny-sous-Bois, René-Descartes in Blanc-Mesnil and Eugène-Carrière in Gournay-sur-Marne . They were selected, as a priority, because of their high energy consumption and their obsolescence.

For the renovations of these nine colleges, the department plans a budget of 111 million euros. “I am a good manager, serious, but I will not give up the public facilities that the young people of Seine-Saint-Denis need”, assures Stéphane Troussel. Work will start at the end of 2023 and end at the beginning of 2027.

In the meantime and from this month of February, the Department of Education and Youth will organize exchange workshops on the renovation of establishments between pupils, parents and educational staff.

Some projects are slow to be implemented

These announcements correspond to the first phase of the “eco-college plan”. Renovations were preferred because they take longer than constructions. The establishments are busy so work can only take place during school holidays. However, the construction of new establishments has not been forgotten. The land for the future La Courneuve college has already been identified.

The eight future colleges will cost around 200 million euros. They will be built with the aim of responding to significant demographic pressure.

“The high schools of Seine-Saint-Denis are well filled today and there have been few new deliveries in recent years, slips the president of Seine-Saint-Denis. The Region would do well to have the same reflection. “If the colleges depend on the departmental council, the high schools are the responsibility of the regional council of Île-de-France. Its president, Valérie Pécresse (LR), announced in 2017 the construction of three new high schools in Seine-Saint-Denis.

However, some proposals of the “eco-college” plan are stagnating. Since the announcement in May 2021 of the future location for the Travail-Langevin college in Bagnolet, the project has not progressed. As for the Collège des Docks in Saint-Ouen, four project management teams will finally be able to apply for the contract.