The condition of dozens of schools has changed dramatically in a short period of time, leaving the district with a difficult time finding funding for the deferred maintenance. March 13, 2023
By Dan Hounsell, Editor-in-Chief
Plant conditions can change rapidly given the destruction that weather and wear and tear can wreak on structures and components. However, the dramatic shift in facility health problems facing the San Francisco Unified School District was initially puzzling.
The condition of dozens of schools has changed drastically in a short period of time, according to The San Francisco Standard. In 2022, a building inspection survey by Vanderweil Facility Advisors found that many of the facilities previously rated “above average” on School Accountability Report Cards (SARCs) were suddenly listed in “poor” or “fair” condition — and not just a handful, either.
The district-hired inspector, who had previously assessed the schools through 2021, did so in an abbreviated timeframe, questioned the accuracy of the district-mandated inspection reports and, more critically, put the district in a tight spot for funding for deferred maintenance to be found in his schools.
The Vanderweil survey found that San Francisco public schools are in dire need of maintenance and upgrades to address issues such as malfunctioning HVAC systems and falling ceilings, contrary to previous inspection findings. District officials said the investigation of the Vanderweil facilities was far more comprehensive compared to previous inspections such as the School Accountability Report Cards surveys.
“[Vanderweil] has a full-time team of people dedicated to evaluating systems,” said Dawn Kamalanathan, Head of Facilities at SFUSD.
Structural and maintenance problems have gotten so bad that the district estimated a full-scale delayed maintenance program would cost at least $1.7 billion. SFUSD wants to stay ahead of its deferred maintenance issues, and the district may ask San Francisco voters to approve a $1 billion bond issue in 2023 or 2024.
“We were bond rich and maintenance poor,” Kamalanathan said. “Without maintenance money to keep this up, you’re going to see this degradation. Underinvestment in the capital structure is a nationwide, if not a national problem.”
Dan Hounsell is Senior Editor of Facility Market. He has over 30 years of experience writing about facility maintenance, engineering and management.
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