Children's vouchers, utilities and repairs: what millions from the budget of the Odesa Department of Education were spent on

The Department of Education and Science of the Odesa City Council spent millions of hryvnias on repairs, utilities and restoration of the administrative building after the shelling. The largest sums were spent on vouchers to Zakarpattia children's recreation centers.

Intent studied the most expensive procurements published in the Izi.Trade system. The analysis took into account the expected value of contracts, as the initial amount may decrease during the bidding process.

The most expensive procurement was for recreation services for children in camps in Zakarpattia. In June, the department announced a tender for UAH 3.3 million, and in August - another one for UAH 3.2 million. These are vouchers for recreational facilities for schoolchildren, including children from privileged categories. The total expected cost of these two purchases exceeded UAH 6.5 million. This is the largest item of expenditure for the department for the year.

The second most expensive item is the overhaul of the department's administrative building, which was damaged during the Russian shelling. UAH 922,000 was allocated for the restoration of the building. Separately, the department ordered the preparation of estimate documentation and support for the project's expertise, for which another UAH 36.5 thousand was planned.

Utilities accounted for a large share of the costs. More than 471 thousand hryvnias were planned for centralized heating in 2025, 108 thousand for electricity distribution, and almost 100 thousand for electronic communication services.

Additionally, the department paid for water supply, sewerage, and Internet service providers. The department also spent money on office supplies: purchases included A4 paper worth UAH 75,000, office equipment and printing equipment worth tens of thousands more. We also purchased a multifunctional device for UAH 41.9 thousand, consumables for the equipment, printing ink, accessories, and award products such as diplomas, letterheads, and watches.

In addition to material supplies, the department paid for computer maintenance, office equipment repair, software administration, and staff development. The amounts of such contracts range from several thousand to about 100 thousand hryvnias each.

As a result, procurement in 2025 demonstrates a wide range of expenditures - from office needs to million-dollar tenders for children's health improvement. The total expected value of large procurements exceeds eight million hryvnias.

At the same time, in 2025, the Education Department of Kherson City Council spent about UAH 28 million on the most expensive procurements. The main expenses were for heating and energy, repairs in schools and kindergartens, water supply services, boiler maintenance, waste disposal, and fuel purchases.

Анна Бальчінос