The construction of a school near Kyiv has been ongoing since 2017, with 50 million UAH spent, but corruption and delays continue to hinder progress.

The construction of a new school in Chabany, which was planned five years ago, remains unfinished. Instead of the long-awaited educational institution, local residents continue to face issues ranging from contractor changes to corruption scandals and empty promises from authorities.

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The school construction project began in 2017 when funds were allocated for the establishment of an educational facility costing 155.6 million hryvnias. This was reported by writes "Telegraf".

However, problems arose early on: contractors were changed, and deadlines were constantly pushed back. In 2022, when the project was included in the "Big Construction" program, it seemed that progress might finally occur. Yet, the pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion halted further work.

As of autumn 2023, approximately 50 million hryvnias had already been spent on construction. Most of these funds, however, were used for work that experts believe was not carried out properly.

Unexpectedly for everyone, a new wave of construction began in 2022 – a third tender was announced to complete the work, but soon financial discrepancies surfaced. Government services conducted an audit that revealed inflated construction costs by nearly 13 million hryvnias. As a result, the local budget suffered significant losses, and officials from the Chabany village council and contractors from the "Forum" company found themselves under suspicion of corruption.

In the spring of 2023, the prosecutor's office initiated an investigation, but no official charges have been filed to date. The former village head, Alexander Kirizliev, fled to Russia at the beginning of the war, while his successor, acting chairperson Elena Soboleva, avoids public communication regarding the construction. Local residents, who have endured these long years, still cannot comprehend when they will finally receive a school.

Alongside the investigation into the school construction, the police are examining other financial schemes in local procurement. The allegations pertain to the capital repair of roads, installation of traffic lights, and the creation of an alert system. New signs of corrupt activities have emerged during the investigation, including tender manipulation.

However, aside from the scandals, the residents of Chabany are facing a real problem: children from Chabany and neighboring villages are forced to study in overcrowded classrooms. The school in the nearby village of Novoselki is designed for 700 children, but in reality, it accommodates over 1300 students. Class hours are stretched over two shifts, and the number of students continues to grow.

Desperate from long-standing promises and empty justifications, local residents continue to demand action from authorities. They assert that the materials used for construction are outdated, and the foundation has been abandoned and not adequately inspected. All of this raises concerns that the school will not be safe or durable.

Today the situation remains unclear. The residents of Chabany eagerly await when all these promises, inspections, and investigations will yield a tangible result – a completed school that will finally provide children with the opportunity to learn in proper conditions rather than in overcrowded classrooms.