Study Finds S.D. School Maintenance Shortcomings

The lack of preventive maintenance and timely repairs in San Diego city schools--the subject of harsh criticism in an advisory committee report last month--results in part from the district spending less than half of what four other large California districts spend in the area.

A special report by district budget planners Tuesday said that San Diego spends only 1.76% of its annual budget on plant maintenance, compared with 3.42% of the average budgets of the Long Beach, San Jose, Los Angeles and Fresno school districts.

To bring its maintenance spending up to the average levels in the other districts, San Diego would have to increase plant maintenance and operations budgets by an additional $15 million a year, the report said.

But San Diego spends $27 million a year more than the average in the other districts on programs to support classroom instruction, including additional books and supplies, nurses, counselors and aides, the report said.

“I guess this shows that we support educational programs more . . . but now we’re paying the consequences” in maintenance problems, board President Kay Davis said after receiving the report.

The spending patterns “are the result of conscious policy decisions” by trustees reflecting their reluctance in the past to cut classroom programs to preserve the physical plant, schools Supt. Tom Payzant said.

The advisory committee report last month said that maintenance problems had reached dangerous levels in some of the 179 district schools because learning and instruction is beginning to be affected by leaky roofs, worn carpets and rusting fixtures.

The board told Payzant on Tuesday, as one of his goals for the next year, to set up a “sequential plan for solving the district’s maintenance funding problem.” The advisory committee recommended that the district begin putting aside funds up to $12.5 million a year to cope with the estimated $49 million need over the next five years to fix major physical problems. At present it spends $8 million annually on maintenance.

Payzant said later Tuesday that he realizes the maintenance needs exist but he warned that many parents could be unhappy if, given the forecast for possible mandatory budget cuts in a tight 1990-91 budget, additional educational programs were cut to enhance maintenance.