On Wednesday 23 September, the Municipality of Spata–Artemida issued a payment order for 14,999.97 euros to the engineering firm commissioned to ‘regularise unauthorised structures’ at the 4th Primary School of Artemida. Completion of the work was confirmed on 18 September, one month before the contract was due to expire on 20 October.
This is the step described by Deputy Mayor Vangelis Tsepas at the Municipal Council meeting on 8 September, as we reported at the time. The building in which the school operates could not be leased directly by the Municipality due to outstanding town-planning issues (unauthorised structures, shipping containers, land use not designated for an educational establishment), and for 14 years the rent was paid by ‘Aegeas’, the Urban Non-Profit Organisation for Cultural and Charitable Works.
From June to the present day
The department’s request and the allocation of the funds took place on 24 June, based on a study by the Town Planning Department (104/2026). The direct award was signed on 7 July (Mayor’s Decision 500/2026) and the contract on 21 July. The invoice was issued on 26 August. After deductions, €12,568.52 is paid to the firm.
‘Aegeas’ is paying until 31 October
On 1 September, the Municipal Committee unanimously accepted a new donation from ‘Aegeas’ to cover the school’s rent from 1 September to 31 October 2026. The proposal had been sent on 17 August. This two-month period is the deadline set by the municipality: Mr Tsepas had told the Council that the process must be completed ‘by the end of October’ in order for the rent to be transferred to the municipality.
Suitability Committee and Tender Process
On 8 September, the Municipal Council unanimously approved the need to let a property to house the school and to hold a tender. The specifications require, amongst other things, that use as an educational establishment must be permitted under the building permit or that a change to the permit must be feasible under town planning regulations, as well as a safe entrance to the school grounds and vehicle access to the building in the event of an emergency. The tender is an open procedure; however, the local authority presented it to the Council as the means for the Municipality itself to rent the building where the children are already attending lessons.
The following day, 9 September, the mayor, Dimitris Markou, set up the Suitability Review Committee. The Chair is the Director of Primary Education for Eastern Attica, and the members include a civil engineer specialising in building infrastructure (formerly of OSK), an employee of KEFOK Attica, a doctor from the Public Health Directorate of the Regional Unit of Eastern Attica, and Mr Tsepas.
Part of the accommodation is already being paid for by the local council: the plot of land used as the school playground, leased until January 2038 at a cost of 600 euros per month (1,800 euros for the May–July quarter).
And the new building
At the same time, preparations are under way for the new school that Artemida has been awaiting since 2015. On 1 July, the mayor commissioned a private engineer to act as a technical consultant for the preliminary design and tender documents, for a fee of 24,800 euros plus VAT. The presentation of the studies had been announced for the end of September, with their handover scheduled for 15 October. According to the mayor’s statement on 8 September, funding for the construction has not yet been secured.
Source: Municipality of Spata–Artemida — payment order dated 23 September 2026 (ΑΔΑ 9Σ4ΡΩ1Χ-ΩΥ9); Mayor’s Decision No. 500/2026 (ADA 9Γ6ΒΩ1Χ-Ξ58); Municipal Committee Decision No. 542/2026 of 1 September 2026 (ΑΔΑ 93ΡΥΩ1Χ-06Ψ); Municipal Council Decision No. 121/2026 of 8 September 2026 (ADA RMMTΩ1X-OLA); Mayor’s Decision No. 667/2026 of 9 September 2026 (ADA E14LΩ1X-Φ0Σ); Mayor’s Decision No. 475/2026 (ADA ΨΘΠ5Ω1Χ-Α1Ε); courtyard rent payment order (ADA 6ΜΣΘΩ1Χ-ΗΤΧ), Diafania.
