It seems local school maintenance is not making the grade. That's according to a report commissioned by San Diego City schools - the state's second-largest school district. In response to the report, school board representatives are calling for a complete overhaul of the district's maintenance and operations department. Full Focus Reporter Heather Hill has the story.
The study by an independent consulting firm shows several problems with the district's maintenance department. Disorganization, lack of efficiency and inaccurate record keeping are primary concerns. The report cautions schools are being overcharged for maintenance services and alleges there's no way to track productivity of employees on the job. But the Department of Maintenance and Operations says the blame for these problems is misplaced. Bill Dos Santos is the director of the department. He says the real issue comes down to money -- and not having a big enough budget to get the job done.
Santos:
The argument isn't one about our poorly managing the situation. It boils down to funding. We get $15 million for maintenance and repair for 14.6 million square feet of real estate. It's woefully inaccurate. And I can show you an article by the Federal Facilities Commission on maintenance that says that number should be about 5 times as high."
The district says the funds set aside for maintenance-related expenses are comparable to those allotted in other districts of similar size. I spoke with Jose Betancourt, Chief Administrative Officer for the San Diego Unified School District. He wants to reorganize the maintenance department and break it down into specialized subdivisions to increase accountability. This means having separate managers for custodial services, landscaping, support services and maintenance. The trustees of the district will meet tomorrow to vote on the reorganization plan.
