If schools were Chevys and Fords, Cincinnati would own a fleet of beaters.

"This is like putting a million miles on your car," said Alan Foust of the Ohio School Facilities Commission, as we kicked the tires of some Cincinnati Public Schools buildings. "You can do it, but at what point does it become more useful to purchase a new car with modern amenities?"

I've heard the same thing from car salesmen: "Look at the options you can get if you trade in that clunker," they say.

But with a $480 million bond levy down payment and a total taxpayer cost of about $1 billion to replace high-mileage schools, it's fair to ask: Are the schools really worn out? Or are they old Buicks that broke down because nobody changed the oil?

It turns out the answer is some of both.

And here's another wrinkle: CPS is only shopping for new schools at the state dealership, because they come with a 23 percent rebate. But state-financed schools are designed to satisfy "equity" demands, so that schools in Peebles look just like schools in Price Hill - whether it makes sense or not.

High mileage

Here's what I saw:

Windsor School in Walnut Hills is downright scary. It was built between 1888 and 1918. The brick hallways are old-shoe brown. Rest stops are by appointment because only six bathrooms serve 380 kids and 27 teachers.

Doors are lumpy with layers of paint. Cement bathroom floors are the color of spilled motor oil - but the floor at Jiffy Lube is more appealing. The lunchroom is so small they keep coolers in the hallway, and students eat in four shifts that gobble up two hours of every day. The place is depressingly crummy.

A ventilation system patented in 1882 says it all: This school is older than the horseless carriage. I think Daniel Boone's name is carved in a desktop somewhere.

"I just want to be in a new building before heaven," says Principal Leniese Fuqua.

Runs good

Fairview Elementary in Clifton Heights was built in 1888 and 1958 - but it looks great and has great city views. It serves well as a magnet school, but the neighborhood no longer needs a grade school or school buses that clog the streets, said CPS Facilities Director Mike Burson.

If it were up to the parents who lovingly care for Fairview, it would be saved. But it doesn't meet state rules for new schools. No air conditioning. Not enough real estate. Poor ventilation. Overloaded wiring.

And repairs have to worm their way through a sluggish maze of paperwork that Mr. Burson calls a "black hole."

"We get 20,000 work requests a year, and it's really a manual system - a very difficult system to manage," he said.

But if voters pass the levy, work orders will be computerized, he said. "We have to prepare a maintenance plan for new buildings or we don't get the money."

These are just two of 34 schools that could be sold or junked. Some are beaters; some are 1958 Cadillacs. Voters should take a close look under the hood.

E-mail pbronson@enquirer.com or call 768-8301.