Municipality of Kranj completed a major educational infrastructure project with the reconstruction and expansion of its branch school and kindergarten on Kokrica. The investment, valued at €4.8 million, was finalized just before the start of the new academic year. The Ministry of Education, Science and Youth contributed over €992,000 through a public tender, while the construction was carried out by Kovinar, Construction Jesenice, a company praised by the local government. Mayor Matjaž Rakovec emphasized during the unveiling ceremony on August 27, 2026, that this project holds exceptional significance for the local community. He noted how, back in 1973, there were doubts about the need for a branch school on Kokrica, yet today it has surpassed its initial scope. School principal Sonja Grilc highlighted the long-standing spatial and organizational challenges faced by the institution, calling the new facilities a significant achievement for staff who eagerly await the first day of classes. The newly constructed spaces include modern classrooms, playgrounds, a kitchen serving both the kindergarten and school, expanded dining areas, and offices for staff. The building's total area has more than doubled, increasing from approximately 2,000 to 4,000 square meters. Additional features include four new kindergarten playrooms equipped with changing rooms, restrooms, and covered terraces, a sports playground, multipurpose rooms, a meeting space, and a parent consultation room. An elevator connects all three floors, ensuring complete accessibility. The surrounding area has been redeveloped with separate zones for the school and kindergarten, new parking lots, pedestrian and cycling paths, and a new bike shed offering students more green space. In the new academic year, the primary school on Kokrica will have 161 students in nine classes ranging from first to fifth grade. The kindergarten will accommodate up to 80 children in four sections, two homogeneous groups for the first age group, one homogeneous group for children aged three to four years, and one heterogeneous group for the second age group. Meanwhile, in Maribor, preparations for the new academic year included the restoration of 107 ground-level "School" signs and pedestrian crossings near kindergartens and schools. These efforts, led by Nigrad, aimed to enhance safety for pedestrians, especially around schools. The city’s municipal authority and companies under the Public Holding Maribor allocated over €8.5 million for renovations, investments, project documentation, and equipment. Major projects include the renovation of kindergarten kitchens, the extension of OŠ Angela Besednjaka, and the renovation of the kitchen at OŠ Leona Štuklja. Approximately 3,634 children will attend public kindergartens in the upcoming academic year, with 698 being new enrollments. Around 8,980 students are expected to attend primary schools, including roughly 870 first-graders. The city also introduced new bus schedules effective September 1, replacing the summer routes. These schedules, prepared as annual plans, will display departure times for buses during both school hours and holidays. In addition, the Public Holding Maribor donated a package of school supplies to students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, including backpacks, water bottles, technical pencils, erasers, and USB drives. In Kranjska Gora, a new traffic arrangement on the Vršič pass aims to improve visitor experience. After previous restrictions due to ongoing construction, 80 free parking spots have become available at the top of the pass, along with designated spaces for disabled individuals, motorcycles, buses, and short-term vehicle parking. The new system includes traffic signals indicating parking availability, helping drivers choose the correct lane. The right lane is reserved for visitors wishing to park, while the left lane serves other road users continuing past the pass. Officials emphasized that the goal is to ensure safer and more organized access, better traffic flow, and improved protection of the sensitive natural environment, particularly during the tourist season. In Šmihel, first-grade students entered a new wing of their primary school, which turned out to be more expensive than initially budgeted. Meanwhile, in Brežice, students of OŠ Artiče started the new academic year at three temporary locations due to the ongoing construction of their new school. The mayor visited these locations alongside the school principal, noting the unique circumstances for the 201 first-year students. The municipality allocated around €500,000 to set up these temporary arrangements, including additional bus services and a new van for food transport. The new school, once completed, will cost approximately €7.87 million, with construction expected to finish by May 2028, allowing classes to begin in the 2028/2029 academic year. Elsewhere, in Dolenjska, a renewed petition calls for the commencement of the southern section of the third developmental axis, blocked by the civil initiative 3ROS, jug. The group argues that delays in the project have caused unnecessary inconvenience and safety risks, urging authorities to prioritize public interest over individual concerns. They claim that legal threats and attempts to suppress their online presence have hindered progress, emphasizing the need for governmental intervention to expedite the project according to existing planning guidelines.
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