D.C. school officials have spent $14.5 million this school year to modernize buildings that will close before summer, according to documents from the school system's facilities office.

School activists criticized the waste of precious dollars on upgrades to sites destined to be shut down.

"This was not a wise use of funds," said Marc Borbely, a former D.C. teacher who runs a Web site devoted to school facility topics. "This irresponsible spending is further evidence that the school closings are not about saving money."

Tony Robinson, spokesman for facilities chief Allen Lew's office, told The Examiner in an e-mail Friday that he wasn't able to release detailed information until next week about the work done to each of the schools slated to close at the end of the school year.

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But, according to data obtained by parents through a Freedom of Information Act request, the amount spent so far on modernization at closing schools is $14.5 million. On top of that, Lew's office has devoted about $6.7 million to targeted repairs, which entail more basic needs such as heating.

Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee plans to close 21 schools and two education centers in an effort to address declining enrollment and cut costs. According to city estimates, $17 million in facilities costs will be saved by shutting down the campuses.

The modernization dollars awarded to these schools for the current school year range from $250,000 to more than $2 million, according to the data.

Borbely said that combined with the $110 million Lew will spend to prepare schools receiving added students, it's far too large of a sum to spend.

The school buildings that will shut down were selected chiefly because of underenrollment, according to the chancellor's office. But one factor used in creating the list was the amount of capital dollars spent on the school in recent years.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com