The castle’s role in education in Verpelét may come to an end: the school building is being renovated

The call for tenders concerning the development of the Verpelét School has been published in the EU Public Procurement Bulletin.

According to the tender, the Eger School District Centre wishes to refurbish the school in such a way that the existing castle building on the site is no longer used for school purposes. To this end, 16 classrooms will be created in the main building, each with a floor area of approximately 35 square metres.

As part of the refurbishment, a separate room will be provided for the school caretaker, and an accessible toilet will be installed on the ground floor, linked to a new accessible car park and entrance. As part of the development, one classroom will be adapted for use by pupils with hearing impairments, and the corridors will be fitted with tactile paving.

The project does not only involve the interior of the building: the sports field on the school grounds will be refurbished, a playground will be built where possible, the CCTV system will be expanded, the fence will be renovated, and the doors of the lockers in the corridors may be replaced with fire-resistant ones, subject to the availability of funds.

The total usable floor area of the building is 1,857 square metres, of which the net area affected by the interior refurbishment is 1,288 square metres.

Modernisation to overcome fragmentation

According to the information on the application page, the aim of the project is to improve the infrastructure and purchase equipment for the Arany János Primary School and the Reményi Ede Primary School of Arts in Verpelét, so that the institution can carry out its core tasks in a modern environment.

This initiative also helps state-run public education institutions to reduce student dropout rates and the number of pupils leaving school without qualifications.

At present, teaching takes place in three separate buildings, which is disadvantageous from both a cost-effectiveness and organisational perspective. In addition to the main building, lessons are also held in the castle building and in a building that was previously used as a day-care centre but was converted into a four-classroom school in 1969.

Under the proposed redevelopment, the renovation of the two-storey main building would result in the castle being completely removed from educational use, whilst the smaller building would primarily serve artistic and sporting purposes. To this end, instead of the current four classrooms side by side, six classrooms will be created on each floor.

The interior condition of the main building has deteriorated significantly, so a complete refurbishment is required. The interior doors and floor coverings will be replaced, and the staff room, the school office and the storeroom will be refurbished to create a more efficient and practical layout. The secretariat will be moved in front of the staff room, and a new deputy head’s office will be established next to the head’s office.

The ageing electrical network is being completely overhauled, starting from the meter point, with new wiring, distribution boards, light fittings and fixtures. In addition, energy efficiency improvements are continuing with the installation of external wall insulation.

As a result of the development, the main building will become more energy-efficient, and its interior layout will enable it to accommodate all primary school classes in one place.

Deadline for submission of tenders: 26 May 2026.