San Diego
San Diego city schools trustees admitted Tuesday that they have let maintenance and repair deteriorate below acceptable levels but offered no assurances that they will put more money into improving the facilities.
In receiving a comprehensive report on the sorry state of district maintenance, board members said they would explore ideas of how to deal with the need for new paint, asphalt, boilers and windows at more than two-thirds of the district’s 179 school sites.
Trustee Shirley Weber said the report by six prominent San Diego businessmen knowledgeable in maintenance impressed upon her that, “We are at the limit, and can’t keep putting things off.”
The report said the district should increase its $7.3-million annual budget to at least $12.5 million to begin catching up on almost a decade of neglect. But the district may have to cut instructional and academic programs for next year if expected low state revenue forecasts prove correct.
Schools Supt. Tom Payzant said Tuesday that one reason San Diego spends much less on maintenance than other California urban districts is because it spends more on support of teachers and extra textbooks.
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