Over the next five years, San Francisco schools need about $1.4 billion worth of work to address malfunctioning boilers, electrical issues, plumbing problems, floor repairs and other facilities issues, a significant to-do list that doesn’t necessarily include replacing heating systems or toilets with more modern and efficient options.
While it’s a shocking amount of money needed for 107 sites, it’s the first time in years that district officials have a clear idea of the current condition of its buildings and grounds and what it will take to address needs of facilities through 2027.
The district assessed all sites in recent months, determining whether the various parts of the buildings were in excellent, good, fair, poor or deficient condition at each location.
The overall conclusion was reassuring: The schools are safe. There are no issues related to structural integrity or other life-safety systems critical to the well-being of students and staff, said Dawn Kamalanathan, district head of facilities.
Instead, the issues revolve around inefficient and aging infrastructure like basement boilers and classroom radiators that are either on or off, for example, making some classrooms either too cold and others too hot.
“They’re safe,” she said. “They might be uncomfortable.”
Based on the assessment, electrical, as well as heating and ventilation, received the lowest marks, with 72 sites in poor or deficient condition. Plumbing followed in third, with 43 sites in the same category.
At nearly two-dozen sites, the heating system is so old it would cost more to fix it than replace it with the same type of equipment. The data doesn’t identify what it would cost to ditch the boilers for more modern HVAC systems.
“This is really for us, the first conversation,” Kamalanathan said. “What you’re seeing here is not systems no longer functioning, but systems that are well past their designed for useful life.”
The $1.4 billion price tag doesn’t include basic maintenance like fixing a leaky roof or broken window.
The report, presented to the school board earlier this month, will pave the way for a facilities master plan, as well as a ballot measure next year or the following to raise money through a new facilities bond, officials said.
Jill Tucker and Nami Sumida are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com nami.sumida@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker @namisumida
